Women’s hockey club founder bound for medical school

Abby Lin has left her mark at Auburn, and she hasn’t even graduated yet.

The proof is a banner, sporting her name and No. 14, hanging from the rafters of the Columbus Ice Rink in Columbus, Georgia.

As the founder of the women’s ice hockey club team at Auburn, Lin was honored on senior night when her teammates raised the banner, retiring her number and solidifying her place in the history of the club — and hockey in the South.

When she wasn’t starting the club or hitting the ice, Lin studied exercise science in the College of Education’s School of Kinesiology. This fall, she will attend the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Auburn — the next step toward becoming a pediatric sports medicine physician.

Lin came to the Plains from Knoxville, Tennessee, and was hooked.

Lin was drawn to the familial environment and now understands what the Auburn Family means.

“I think the Auburn Creed does a good job of building the foundation for that,” she said. “We work hard together, we support each other in having a sound mind and body, and we believe in Auburn together.”

It’s easy to see a family’s love and support at sporting events. Lin will never forget storming Pat Dye Field when the football team upset Texas A&M in four overtimes.

But she said she also felt a strong sense of connection in class — both with peers and professors. Take Andreas Kavazis, for example. Lin said the Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor of exercise science stood out not just for how he taught but for the care and attention he gave to students.

Between encouraging professors and milestone moments, Auburn left its mark on Lin too. One of her favorites? Taking to the ice for the team’s first game ever — against rival University of Georgia.

But there was no bad blood when these new clubs faced off.

“There were many hugs and cheers as history was made,” she said.