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2011-12 Canada West women's hockey preview: Superstar talent across the conference
EDMONTON – The 2011-12 Canada West women’s hockey season opens with a trio of match-ups on Friday and Saturday night.
Here is a look at the conference's seven teams…
ALBERTA PANDAS
2010-11 conference record: 17-4-3 (1st)
2011 playoffs: 2-2
2011 CIS: 1-2
Last CW title: 2010
Last CIS title: 2010
CW ranking: #3
Key additions: Jessica Abt (F), Montanna Noyes (F), Janelle Froehler (F)
Key returnees: Andrea Boras (D), Nicole Pratt (D), Karla Bourke (F), Sarah Hilworth (F)
Key departures: Lead Copeland (F), Lindsie Fairfield (F), Melody Howard (F), Jennifer Jubb
EDMONTON - For the first time in the program’s 15 year storied existence the Pandas, the most successful women’s hockey program in CIS history, will play host to the national championship tournament, March 8-11, 2012 at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.
As tournament host, the Pandas have an automatic berth, but the team will most certainly be planning to enter their own tournament as conference champions.
Alberta boasts quality, depth and experience at the blue line with team fifth-year, captain Nicole Pratt, and Andrea Boras, who has twice represented Canada (2008, 2010) and won gold at Winter Universiade games. Andrea Wiebe, Riana Magee, Sarah Grandinetti and Brandi Buss round out the veteran defence corps. Adding to the mix are sophomores Hayley Helland and Kayla Lavallee.
Up front the offence will be driven by a combination of returning players and freshmen. Veterans Katie Borbely, Sarah Hilworth, who led the Pandas in scoring last season with 26 points, Karla Bourke, Alannah Kedra and Katie Stewart will be counted on for season long production and leadership. Newcomers Jessica Abt, Alison Campbell, Montanna Noyes, and Janelle Froehler will receive plenty of opportunities to produce for the Pandas as well.
Between the pipes are Michala Jeffries and Kanessa Schwetz, who split duty last season.
UBC THUNDERBIRDS
2010-11 conference record: 7-16-1 (6th, missed
playoffs)
Last CW title: N/A
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #7
Key additions: G Carly Butcher, G Sam Langford, D Cailey Hay, D Charissa Church, F Rebecca Unrau
Key returnees: F Kaylee Chanakos, F Tamara Pickford, F Kaitlin Imai, F Tatiana Rafter, D Christi Capozzi, D Emily Grainger
Key departures: G Melinda Choy, D Ashley Henry, D Kirsten Mihalcheon, F Alisha Choy, F Lisa Bonang
VANCOUVER – A new era of UBC women’s hockey begins in 2011-12 with Jen Rawson, a former University of Toronto star player and assistant coach, taking over as head coach, replacing Nancy Wilson.
There will also be a new look in goal, with Melinda Choydeparts. All three goaltenders on the UBC roster are rookies, including Carly Butcher, daughter of former Vancouver Canuck, Garth.
Defensively, UBC brings back a strong core, despite losing Kirsten Mihalcheon, the team’s highest scoring defender in 2010-11. Christi Capozzi, Emily Grainger and Sarah Casorso return, to be joined by two key recruits, Cailey Hay and Charissa Church.
Up front, UBC returns four of its top five scorers from last season: Kaitlin Imai, Tatiana Rafter, Amanda Asay and Tamara Pickford.
CALGARY DINOS
2010-11 conference record: 16-6-2 (3rd)
2011 playoffs: 0-2
Last CW title: N/A
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #2
Key additions: F Iya Gavrilova, D Stephanie Ramsey, D Stephanie Zvonkovic, D Sarah Astle
Key returnees: F Hayley Wickenheiser, G Amanda Tapp
Key departures: F Beccy Niehaus, F Cait O’Hara, F Shannon Davidson, D Nicole Kugin
CALGARY – Embarking on the 2011-12 season, in their third season back in CIS competition, the Dinos are looking at one of their most experienced rosters ever, with many veteran players on the roster along with some high-profile recruits with previous international experience.
Leading the way for a second season is Hayley Wickenheiser, the returning CIS player of the year and one of CIS’ Top 8 Academic All-Canadians. Wickenheiser made national headlines when she joined the team last year, then put up an impressive 17 goals, 40 points, and a plus-22 rating in just 15 games with the team last season. To complement her unquestioned leader, head coach Danielle Goyette has assembled a solid supporting cast that will look to compete for a conference title and a trip to the CIS championship this year.
A major recruit for the Dinos this fall is forward Iya Gavrilova, a member of the Russian senior national team. Gavrilova has been a national team member since 2003, and her offensive abilities will be a great addition to the squad. Stephanie Ramsay, a red-shirt in 2010-11 after transferring from the University of Alberta, also has the ability to make a big impact on the team.
LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS
2010-11 conference record: 4-17-3 (7th, missed playoffs)
Last CW title: N/A
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #6
Key additions: Sadie Lenstra(F), Kirsten Reeves (F)
Key returnees: Shelby Ballendine (F), Jenna-Marie Durnin (F), Amy Van Buskirk (D), Ashley Beattie (D), Megan Bailey (F)
Key departures: Brittany Kaye (F), Rochelle Radke (F)
LETHBRIDGE – The Lethbridge Pronghorns are a year older and hopefully a year wiser. After missing the post-season for the fifth consecutive season last year, the Pronghorns are looking to make a move up the standings this season with a more veteran lineup and crack into one of the four playoff positions.
In the past, the ’Horns’ Achilles heel has been goal scoring, scoring a conference low 39 goals last season, but head coach Chandy Kaip feels that she has two lines that are an offensive threat each game with key returning players, Jenna-Marie Durnin, Shelby Ballendine, Erica Williams and Megan Bailey leading the pack. To add to the offensive punch are freshman Sadie Lenstra (Calgary Flyers) and Kirsten Reeves (Edmonton Thunder). Both Lenstra and Reeves have made a quick transition to the university level and have been impressive in the preseason.
After going through a complete overhaul in the crease last season with three new goaltenders, Coach Kaip feels they will be solid in the net with whoever starts, as all three have played well so far this season, and sets up an interesting competition for playing time. Crystal Patterson has only allowed one goal in her last three games and seems to be the front runner.
MANITOBA BISONS
2010-11 conference record: 16-5-3 (2nd)
2011 playoffs: 4-0
2011 CIS: 0-3
Last CW title: 2011
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #1
Key additions: Jessica Carswell, Kayleigh Wiens, Lindsay Blight
Key returnees: Addie Miles, Nellie Minshull, Caitlin MacDonald, Amy Lee, Meagan Vestby, Tara Lacquette, Leiette Klassen
Key departures: Tammy Brade, Becca King, Amy Coates, Kacey Funk, Chelsea Braun
WINNIPEG – For the second time in 14 seasons as a program, Manitoba captured the Canada West championship during the 2010-11 season. The goal is to successfully defend the title and advance to the CIS with a young squad that lost five key fifth year veterans due to graduation.
This season, head coach Jon Rempel’s team has 18 players returning from 2010-11. Team captain, forward Addie Miles, will once again lead Manitoba. Miles enters her final season at Manitoba after another strong season as she was a Canada West Second Team All-Star, team’s top scorer for the fourth consecutive season (19 points in 20 games) and won gold with Team Canada at the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey.
Along with Miles, other Bison vets that will be leaned on this season include defenceman Caitlin MacDonald as she followed her stunning rookie campaign and earned her second consecutive conference all-star selection in her sophomore season after fourth in conference defenceman scoring in 2010-11. Goaltender Tara Lacquette was named 2010-11 Canada West Second Team All-Star as she played in 17 of 24 conference regular season games and was fourth in Canada West with a 1.66 Goals Against Average. Forwards Nellie Minshull (16 points in 24 games) and Amy Lee (16 points in 24 games) were tied for third in team scoring plus forwards Rachèle Bosc (10 points), Kayla Duna (nine points) and Meagan Vestby (nine points in regular season and top Bison scorer in 2010 playoffs) along with goalie Leiette Klassen (five shutouts in eight regular season games) return to the Herd.
Three Bison newcomers look to make an immediate impact - Kayleigh Wiens, Jessica Carswell and Lindsay Blight.
REGINA COUGARS
2010-11 conference record: 9-13-2 (5th, missed
playoffs)
Last CW title: 2000-01
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #5
Key additions: Carleen Meszaros (D), Jennifer Schmidt (G)
Key returnees: Rianne Wight (F), Paige Wheeler (F), Lisa Urban (G)
Key departure: Kelcie McCutcheon (F)
REGINA – Returning most of last year’s team that finished in fifth place, the Regina Cougars hope to make the jump into a conference post-season spot this year.
Highlighting the list of returning Cougars is fourth-year forward Rianne Wight, who was named a Canada West All-Star last season after exploding offensively to finish second in the conference with 16 goals.
Also back is fourth-year forward Paige Wheeler, who led the Cougars and tied for fourth in Canada West last season with 26 points. Gina Campbell is expected to play alongside Wight and Wheeler on the team’s top line this season, replacing the graduated Kelcie McCutcheon.
In net, the Cougars will have the services of workhorse goaltender Lisa Urban for one last season. Urban, who's already the school's all-time leader in minutes played, is just four wins away from overtaking Andrea Charanduk as the U of R's career leader in that category as well.
The Cougars’ only other fifth-year player is defenceman Stefanie Banilevic. The team's only other veteran defenceman is Hillary Lerat, who enters her fourth year with the U of R.
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES
2010-11 conference record: 15-8-1 (4th)
2011 playoffs: 0-2
Last CW title: N/A
Last CIS title: N/A
CW ranking: #4
Key additions: Vanessa Frederick, Julia Flinton, Brooke Mutch, Sarah Greschner
Key returnees: Breanne George, Cara Wooster, Kristin Bews, Mackenzie Rizos
Key departures: Amanda Stilborn, Nicole Peppler, Laura Connor
SASKATOON - Just making the Canada West playoffs is not enough for the University of Saskatchewan Huskie women’s hockey team anymore.
Armed with experienced athletes including six fifth-year players and a handful of impressive recruits, the Huskies look to top the 15-8-1, fourth place finish from 2010-11. The Huskies were ranked in the CIS Top Ten all season in ’10-11 but lost to the Alberta Pandas in two straight games in the semifinal and failed to score a point in the two playoffs games.
Leading the troop of fifth-year athletes is two-time All-Canadian and former conference MVP Breanne George, captain Kristin Bews and all-star forward Julie Paetsch. Wooster and George finished one-two in conference scoring combining for 70 points on the season and 29 of the Huskies goals. Paetsch added another nine goals and 14 assists for the Huskies. Joining the Huskies on offence will be the Saskatchewan Midget Female AAA Hockey League MVP Sarah Greschner.
On the blue-line, Bews and fourth-year Megan Frohaug will be looked at to play a large role. Helping on defence will be rookies Brooke Mutch and Julia Flinton. Flinton won the Midget Female AAA Championship with the Notre Dame Hounds in 2010-11.
Mackenzie Rizos will have some help in net with the return of goaltender Vanessa Frederick for her final year of eligibility.
www.canadawest.org / www.canadawest.tv
About Canada West Universities Athletic
Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four
conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at
least 10 CIS national titles every year, 1997 to 2010. Comprised of
16 schools from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
and British Columbia, Canada West produces numerous major award
winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with
many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues
or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.
“cwuaa” on Twitter.
