But more than a decade ago, Aveson was leading the Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team between the pipes to its third NCAA Division III women’s hockey national title, all while etching her name as one of the university’s best goaltenders.

Her name is plastered all over the NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey record books. She holds the title of the most shutouts in both a season and a career, as well as the highest save percentage in a single-season.

Aveson’s entire collegiate hockey career will be folded into one big ceremony on Sept. 27 at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Memorial Hall Gymnasium, when she’ll be inducted into the Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame. It’s an honor that she says is meaningful, especially now that it’s been more than 10 years since she graduated.

“My perception of the college years has evolved now that I have adult eyes. I think because of that time in between I’ve been able to appreciate things more,” Aveson said on Wednesday. “I think a lot of it has to do with being in the work force for the last decade. It’s deepened my respect for my parents and how they pulled off everything.”

Aveson, who grew up in West Covina, California, credits her start in hockey to one thing: Timing.

Three years before Aveson was born, one of the most famous hockey players coined the Great One — Wayne Gretzky — was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, which helped popularize the sport out West, especially in the Aveson household.

“Growing up I had hockey on the television all the time. I went to games,” she said. “By the time I hit 8 years old, the effect of his presence had increased the amount of hockey being played in the state. It also helped that my family, both my parents, my uncles, my aunts and my grandparents loved the game, too, so it just made sense.”

At just 10 days old, Aveson’s parents took her to an outdoor preseason hockey game in Las Vegas between the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers. Gretzky just so happened to bury the Kings fifth and final goal en route to a 5-2 victory.

While Gretzky may have brought more attention to the sport in California, hockey rinks weren’t necessarily being built right away. The closest arena from Aveson’s house was about an hour away.

“I was playing four days a week at the minimum,” she said. “I played year round. I was playing ice hockey and roller hockey, so there was no breaks.”

She said her parent’s sacrificed so much time and energy getting to and from the rink.

“I mean, I won the parent lottery,” Aveson said.

She quickly excelled and was recruited to play collegiate hockey by Plattsburgh State’s coach, Kevin Houle. Aveson eventually opted to enroll at Minnesota State on a full-ride scholarship. But after just one season, she knew it wasn’t a good fit for her.

“I actually called Plattsburgh back and was like, ‘Can I still come?’ A big selling point of Plattsburgh was not only the program, but I chose to pursue a degree program called expeditionary studies,” Aveson said. “It allowed me to combine hockey and the outdoors.”

She saw limited action in her first season, playing in just six games. But the following year, she took over as the team’s starting goaltender and held that title for three seasons. During that time, Aveson progressively got better, and by her senior season, she allowed just 14 goals in 24 games.

She wrapped up her career with 69 total wins — with nearly half of those coming by way of a shutout. She credits her success to being a goal-orientated person, and those around her.

“It really takes a village for any athlete to get where they are, and that includes your family, your friends, your coaches, fitness trainers, athletic trainers, equipment managers and I could go on,” she said. “All of that support really just provides the opportunity to be successful and my drive took me the rest of the way.”

When Plattsburgh State defeated the Norwich Cadets, 9-2, to earn the national crown in 2014 in her senior year, nearly every single emotion riddled her body.

“It was happiness, because this thing that we had been chasing and had been close for the last two years came to fruition,” she said. “I had so many loved ones in the stands from friends and family, teachers and to be able to give that moment to loved ones and our fans was pretty powerful, but it was also pretty sad because it was my last game on home ice.”

Aveson was the last person to leave the ice in that night, because she didn’t want her time at Plattsburgh to over.

“I was avoiding the inevitable,” she said. “It was so much happiness, so much gratitude, and I would say relief as well because this was our last chance to do it.”

Aveson had a few stints in professional hockey with the Montreal Canadiennes in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and a one season in Austria with the DEC Salzburg Eagles. She’s played in 19 states and six countries.

“I’ve had a lot of dreams come true in the hockey world,” Aveson said.

But once her playing days were over, she returned back to the area. Her bachelor’s degree led her to being a full-time guide, before she was eventually hired as the communications director at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, based in Lake Placid, in December 2021.

“I’m one of the examples of the people who took a radical career shift because of COVID and guiding people face-to-face during the pandemic was not a good career path,” Aveson said. “It turned out that guiding and having a lot of local knowledge was really valuable for working for ROOST and advocating for the community because I do know the region so well.”

While her collegiate and professional days may be over, Aveson occasionally plays at the Saranac Lake Civic Center. She’s also refs local games and prep school hockey. She’s been doing that for the past six years.

“I’m going to be reffing college hockey for the first-time this year, which I’m excited about,” she said. “I’m still incredibly involved. I’m actually on the ice as much as an official as I was as a player, which is crazy to say.”

When she returns to Plattsburgh next month, she’ll be joined by her family and friends. It likely won’t be the last time Aveson will be at the university as she could potentially ref Cardinals games in the near future.

“I’m hoping it will take me far and wide,” she said. “To start, I’ll probably be in Plattsburgh, Vermont and more locally and work my way and see where it goes. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue doing higher-level hockey.”