A campus tour of Brock University turned out to be a game changer for Team Canada hockey player Annie Berg.

It was during the recent IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships in St. Catharines that the 17-year-old rising star of Canadian women’s hockey decided to leave a Division 1 NCAA scholarship behind and instead start her collegiate hockey career with the Brock Badgers.

Berg, the daughter of former Toronto Maple Leaf and NHL veteran Bill Berg, sealed the deal Wednesday night (Jan. 27) in a ceremony during halftime of the Brock Badgers men’s basketball game.

The Grade 12 student at Beamsville and District Secondary School had a scholarship lined up with St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., but had a change of heart while wearing the Team Canada jersey and playing in front of cheering sellout crowds at the Meridian Centre during the World Championships held Jan. 8-15.

“I had a lot of thinking to do during that week,” said Berg. “It was coming close to exam time and I was really focusing on school and that’s when I decided.”

A tour of the Brock University campus with her family made her realize Brock was the right choice.

“It was a tough decision because there are a lot of opportunities for hockey in the States, but I really value the Canadian university education and when I got to campus it reminded me of home. It’s a great school,” said Berg, who plans to take Concurrent Education at Brock.

Berg will suit up in the 2016-17 season for Brock Badgers coaches Margot Page and Sara Bauer, who look forward to having the talented forward on the roster.

“We are very excited to have Annie joining us at Brock next year,” said Bauer. “She is both an excellent student and a talented athlete, who is passionate, competitive and driven. Annie is well-prepared for success at the CIS level, and she will be a strong part of the core of our team moving forward.”

Berg is anticipating getting to play in front of boisterous Badgers crowds that will cheer her on next season.

“It’s amazing to know there’s going to be that support every time you’re playing at home,” she said. “It really helps the atmosphere. Going in there and feeding off that energy really gets you going.”

Brock President Jack Lightstone, who met with Berg’s parents during the campus tour, applauded her decision.

“We are so pleased that Annie is joining Brock,” said Lightstone. “I know she will find at Brock the opportunity to grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally in a welcoming community, typical of the Brock student experience, while continuing to advance as an elite athlete.”

Beamsville’s Annie Berg skates with the puck during one of Canada’s games in the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in St. Catharines. Berg will play for the Brock Badgers next year. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/HHOF-IIHF Images)