When I was 10 years old I sported pigtails and basketball shorts on a daily basis, and spent my mornings before school sitting at the kitchen counter reading the sports page. I decided then that I wanted to be a sports writer, and have spent the last 12 years working toward my goal.

Last week I packed everything I own, including a cat named Earl and a new pair of heavy-duty snow boots into my Toyota Camry. I drove 22 hours from Grand Junction, Colorado, to Houghton, where I am thrilled to officially start my career by covering Michigan Tech Hockey for The Daily Mining Gazette.

The best way to introduce myself is to say this: I love sports and I love journalism. I love the way sports bring people together, ignite emotions and teach valuable lessons. And I love learning about the people inside the jerseys, the ones who make sports so powerful. Most importantly, I want to use my writing to share those stories with this community.

I also want to make this place my home, so in the interest of honesty I have to tell you all: I’m a basketball gal at heart, transplanted into a hockey community. That’s the sport I grew up playing, watching and writing about. Most recently, I did it at Gonzaga, where I got my degree and worked for the student newspaper, covering the Zags as they made their historic Final Four run. So, hockey is fairly new to me. That being said I will take great care and pride in covering Tech hockey, and any other assignments that come my way.

Prior to landing at the Gazette, I interned for three different publications, including Sports Illustrated, in New York City where I spent the summer. 

I was born and raised in Colorado where I grew up fly-fishing and trekking through the mountains with my two older sisters. If I’m not writing about or watching sports I’m usually outdoors or curled up with a good book. 

I can’t wait to get to know this community and start covering the Huskies. Follow me on twitter @eden_laase, and if you have questions, story ideas or just want to talk about Gonzaga basketball, shoot me an email at elaase@mininggazette.com. 

Along with adjusting to living in hockey country, I’ll also be getting used to U.P. winters. It may snow in Colorado, but the Western part of the state where I’m from has mild winters with 40-degree days. 

So, this winter if you see someone swearing and frantically digging a car with Colorado plates out of the snow, don’t worry, that’s just me adjusting to my new home.