Features
Finding love at first print
By Molly Geisinger ’19
April 28, 2016
Tags features
Most people know The Spectator, the College’s oldest publication, for its news, restaurant reviews, sports rundowns—and now matchmaking. They say that 40 percent of Hamilton College alums meet their future spouses as undergraduates. In two weeks, two graduates will tie the knot, making their way into that 40 percent.
Last week, Blake Hollinger ’09 contacted The Spectator to track down an Athlete of the Week piece from the 2008-2009 school year. The reason? To recover the origins of his first introduction to Stephanie Miguel ’11, his current fiance, in time for their wedding this Saturday.
During his time at Hamilton, Hollinger was actually friends with some of Miguel’s hockey teammates who encouraged the two to meet. It was not until he saw Miguel featured in the column that he put the name to the face.
“At that point in time I had no idea that she was going to be the girl I would eventually marry,” Hollinger said. “My first impressions of Steph were first that she was very beautiful, she has big brown eyes and big dimples when she smiles.”
Though it may have been love at first sight, Hollinger had to wait a few weeks to meet her in person; it was the end of hockey season, and the year Miguel became a 2009 RBK Division III Women’s Ice Hockey All American. It was not until a fated night downtown at the VT that the two would eventually meet. Their relationship officially began in May, however, after Hollinger graduated.
“Steph’s teammate, and my classmates, went to Martha’s Vineyard for a week after graduation and we knew heading away from that weekend that we really wanted to give ‘us’ a try,” Hollinger said.
Hollinger, being two years Miguel’s senior, began working in Virginia and the couple successfully maintained a long distance relationship for two years.
Despite the challenges of relying on video chats for nearly two years, the couple’s relationship proved indomitable as it lasted greater distances from there. Their relationship stood the test of time and distance, enduring Miguel’s move back home to Toronto, Ontario and then to Ufa, Russia to play professional ice hockey.
“Once Steph returned from Russia the stars aligned and we were finally able to move to the same country,” Hollinger said.
Even though she was back in the United States, Miguel was on the move. She attended American University for a two-year graduate school program, during which she moved in with Hollinger. The summer after her first year, Miguel then traveled to the United Kingdom and studied at Cambridge.
It was during her study abroad that Hollinger was prepared to tie the knot. He asked her parents for permission, designed the ring and planned to visit her in London to propose.
“On a beautiful sunny afternoon in York, UK, on our trip north to Scotland, Stephanie and I trespassed on the lawn of Clifford’s Tower,” Hollinger said.
The couple will officially tie the knot this Saturday, April 30, and a bit of the Hill will be in attendance. Abby Perer ’09, the author of the original article, will be there, as well as some of Hollinger and Miguel’s hockey teammates who helped orchestrate the couple’s relationship.
From an Athlete of the Week column, to a memorable night at the VT and long-distance dating, Hollinger and Miguel truly fit the bill for couple of the year.
“Being inside of one week from the wedding I cannot be more excited about marrying my best friend,” Hollinger summed up.