“Playing hockey was my first and biggest passion of my life. Working for the Wild, I am very fortunate because I get to be part of hockey every day while making a living,” said computer science graduate student Abigail Ives.
Source: Contributed by Abbie Ives
Ives has combined her love for hockey with her education in computer science and information technology in her role as a hockey operations analyst with the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild.
“I knew that data analytics was gaining traction in hockey, and as a player/coach, I always thought about the game from a very data-driven lens,” said Ives. “With the Wild, I’m able to use my technical skills to evaluate the game from an analytics perspective and then communicate that viewpoint to our general manager and hockey coaches in hockey language.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs in computer and information technology will grow by 13% between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the average growth rate for all occupations.
Prior to her time at SHU, Ives completed her undergraduate degree in English at Quinnipiac University and was then hired as a coach for the SHU women’s ice hockey team
“It’s very relevant in every part of my life, even just being able to pick a language to communicate my best. A big part of my job is being able to clearly communicate data and models to people who have no computer science experience,” said Ives.
As for her academic advisor, Richard Robustelli, executive in residence of the Jack Welch College of Business and Technology, he supports Ives’ combination of passion and academics.
“The world is not going to wait for us,” said Robustelli. “As educators, we are going to challenge the students we work with, and the more we integrate different disciplines together, the better prepared they will be for careers that bring happiness and success.”
“Combining computer science with disciplines outside of the STEM field is huge for the future. Abbie shows a love of sports and hockey, and she got the opportunity to combine her love with her interest in computer science and data in her work opportunity, and that’s a great thing,” said Robustelli.
Junior John Fucci is inspired by Ives’s education and career path
“To see a fellow student have the chance to combine her love for her sport and what she’s passionate about in her education is a great thing. It makes me hopeful that upon entering the workforce, an opportunity like that may arise for my peers or me,” said Fucci.
In her role with the Minnesota Wild, Ives works on pre and post-game reports for both the Wild and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team. She also evaluates the rosters of both teams to identify their biggest needs.
“In a general sense, my role is supporting our coaching and front office staff’s decisions by bringing data into our decision-making process, whether that’s game strategy or personnel decisions. My computer science background helps me come up with various methods to build different predictive models, or API scripts, to try and accomplish this effectively and efficiently,” said Ives.
According to Robustelli, Sacred Heart decided to integrate technology into its business courses
“I think that was a very great decision that we made as a university that hopefully supports our students in a very competitive world,” said Robustelli.
Ives is set to graduate this coming May with her master’s degree in computer science and information technology.
