Looking For A Repeat

It's probably not a secret that Team Canada will be a medal favorite in women's hockey when the 2025 FISU World University Games open in Torino, Italy on January 13. The reigning gold medalists from Lake Placid will be looking to defend their title, and it seems that Canada is sending another highly-skilled U SPORTS team to mount that title defence. If U SPORTS could hold an all-star game, the FISU team members named this year would likely all be invited to the event as the talent assembled for the trip to Italy is rather impressive. With all four conferences represented on the roster, let's take a look at the players who will take ten days off in pursuit of a FISU World University Games gold medal!

Before we jump into the players, though, let me say that being chosen to represent Canada at the FISU University Games means a lot to every player. It's recognition for the hard work they've put into becoming one of this country's best players, it's validation for the dedication they've had to both their education and their sport, and it's an honour to be chosen to wear the maple leaf on their chests. Make no mistake that these players have every right to be proud not only of being selected, but in being chosen to stand tall on the international stage for their country and peers.

In saying that, here is Team Canada's FISU women's hockey team!

Goaltenders

Kaitlyn Ross - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Grace Beer - Dalhousie Tigers (AUS)
Jordyn Verbeek - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)

There's no doubt that Canada's goaltending will be strong, but these three netminders are three of the best statistically that U SPORTS boasts this season. For readers of The Rundown, we're aware of Kaitlyn Ross's skill as the Mount Royal goalie as she's 8-1-2 this season with a 1.33 GAA and a .945 save percentage, but it's her career of stopping pucks that can't be overlooked. In her career, Ross has shown a knack for winning big games as she's 51-17-5 with a 1.47 GAA and a .932 save percentage, she was the fastest goalie in Canada West history to hit the 50-win mark, and she has a National Championship to her name.

I mentioned Dalhousie's Grace Beer on The Rundown this past weekend as she holds a 9-4-0 record, a 1.68 GAA, and a .956 save percentage as her stats have gotten better with each year through her first three years in the AUS. Concordia's Jordyn Verbeek is 18-1-0 in her U SPORTS career with a 1.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but she is a National Championship winner. If we're only looking at numbers, this may be one of Canada's best goalie trios to ever play at FISU, but these three netminders thrive on making every save. Canada won't have to worry about goaltending.

Defenders

Sophia Gaskell - UBC Thunderbirds (CW)
Alex Spence - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Alexandra-Anne Boyer - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Mackenzie Keenan - UNB Reds (AUS)
Abigail MacKenzie - Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS)
Emma Potter - Toronto Varisty Blues (OUA)

This defence unit should scare other countries as they can skate, they can shoot, they have a little grittiness, and they'll shut down offensive chances by the handful. Readers of The Rundown know that Sophia Gaskell can score as her two goals and four assists are a solid total this season, but she had seven goals in each of the previous two seasons and totals of 22 and 18 points, respectively, in the last two seasons while only accumulating 12 PIMs in four seasons. Sophia's one of the offensive dynamos on a high-scoring UBC team, and Canada will need that from her in Italy.

The other defender that readers of The Rundown will know is Mount Royal's Alex Spence. Spence has shown some offensive flair with her five assists this season, but it's her defensive game that caught the eye of Team Canada's brass. Spence is very good at keeping forwards from scoring as she often has a stick in a lane, a body in front of a shot, or a player pinned along the wall. If Canada needs a shutdown pairing, expect Spence to be on it because she's one of the reasons that Mount Royal has only surrendered 1.5 goals-per-game.

Alexandra-Anne Boyer is one of the top-scoring defenders in the RSEQ with two goals and ten points, and she has National Championship experience. Mackenzie Keenan is the top-scoring defender in the AUS with three goals and 12 points while Abigail MacKenzie plays the game like Spence - four assists, lots of defence, and good offensive instincts. Emma Potter might the spark plug needed as the fiesty Toronto defender isn't afraid to go into corners, skate the puck out, and set up goals. I like the six players chosen to patrol Canada's blue line as they bring skill, speed, tenacity, and awareness.

Forwards

Aliya Jomha - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Sydney Mercier - Calgary Dinos (CW)
Madison Desmarais - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Malory Dominico - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Leah Herrfort - Waterloo Warriors (OUA)
Scout Watkins Southward - Toronto V. Blues (OUA)
Jaime Magoffin - Guelph Gryphons (OUA)
Emilie Lavoie - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Emilie Lussier - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Gabrielle Santerre - Bishop's Gaiters (RSEQ)
Ekaterina Pelowich - St. Thomas Tommies (AUS)
Erica Plourde - Moncton Blue Eagles (AUS)

There are likely 6-8 other women who could have been named to this team, and there wouldn't be any less skill or talent than there is above. For as deep as U SPORTS is, though, there are some exceptional scorers and leaders going to Italy in this forward group listed above. Readers of The Rundown know that I like Aliya Jomha's hustle, and that's reflected in her seven goals and 15 points this season while leading Canada West in game-winning goals. Jomha has shown she can put the puck in the net, but she doesn't cheat in the defensive zone. She's among this country's best 200-foot players.

Some may wonder about Calgary's Sydney Mercier being named to the team, but she plays a solid 200-foot game as well. She'll give you the hustle up and down the ice, she can score as she had 22 points in each of the last two seasons, and she's shown solid growth as a leader in each of her three seasons. Yes, her scoring may be down this season, but Mercier hasn't lost the hands or hustle that made her successful in years past.

The OUA is well-represented in the forward group. Nipissing's Malory Dominico is tied for fourth in OUA scoring with nine goals and 16 points while Leah Herrfort is tied for fifth in scoring with four goals and 15 points as two of the top-scorers, but Jaime Magoffin leads Guelph with two goals and nine points for some additional scoring. Madison Desmarais has two goals and nine points, but she plays a solid 200-foot game and wins face-offs. Scout Watkins Southward is a responsible defensive forward that has some offensive punch, and her motor never stops running.

The RSEQ trio are legitimately 1-2-3 in scoring as Emilie Lussier has 12 goals and 17 points, Gabrielle Santerre has four goals and 15 points, and Emilie Lavoie has eight goals and 14 points. If these three play on a line for Canada, they could be nearly unstoppable. Moncton's Erica Plourde is tied for top-spot in AUS scoring with nine goals and 17 points while St. Thomas's Ekaterina Pelowich is tied for second in scoring qith seven goals and 12 points. In short, Quebec and the Maritimes are bringing a ton of offence to Team Canada.

Coaches

Head Coach Kelly Paton of Wilfrid Laurier has assembled a solid roster that mixes offence with defence, and has a number of award-winners to boast. Santerre is the 2024 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and U SPORTS Player of the Year, Sydney Mercier is the 2023 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, and Leah Herrfort was named as the 2023 OUA Player of the Year. There are seven National Champions, and two returning players who won a 2023 gol medal in Herrfort and Scout Watkins Southward. Needless to say, this is a decorated bunch of players who want to add more hardware to their résumés!

Kelly Paton is no stranger to coaching at the FISU Games as she has a gold medal from Canada's triumph in Lake Placid in 2023 and a silver medal from 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan where Canada fell to a semi-pro Russian team. She earned a BFL Women in Coaching Award last season with Wilfrid Laurier, and she was invited to participate as a guest coach at the Detroit Red Wings' rookie development camp. Needless to say, Paton's experiences will be called upon in Italy when it comes to Canada's success.

Paton will be joined behind the bench by Carleton University's Stacey Colarossi and Mount Allison University's Addie Miles-Abbott. Colarossi may be best known for being the Associate Head Coach for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but she was previously the head coach for the Laurentian Voyageurs for nine seasons and has a silver medal from the 2019 FISU Games where she coached Canada to a second-place finish. Addie Miles-Abbott was still a Manitoba Bisons forward when she won a gold medal for Canada at the 2011 FISU Games in Erzurum, Turkey, and she's the current head coach of the Team New Brunswick U18 program. Much like the players, Canada's coaching staff is also well-decorated.

Schedule

For those wondering, the tournament will be played in the Palaghiaccio Tazzoli or "PalaTazzoli". It opened in 1970, seats 3000 people, and has a 60-foot by 30-foot ice surface. The eight countries featured in the tournament include Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Chinese Taipei and the United States. Canada will play in Pool A along with Slovakia, Great Britain, and Chinese Taipei. For those looking to watch games, FISU.tv will have the games live on its streams.

JANUARY 11: Canada vs. Chinese Taipei - 1pm CT
JANUARY 13: Great Britain vs. Canada - 6am CT
JANUARY 15: Canada vs. Slovakia - 1pm CT
JANUARY 18: 1st-Place Pool A vs 2nd-Place Pool B - 9am CT
JANUARY 20: gold medal game - 1pm CT

Yes, I'm being presumptuous in posting the 1-vs-2 game and the gold medal game, but I really feel that this team can bring home a second-straight gold medal from Italy. I like the make-up of this team, and I feel they have the right mix of scoring, defence, and goaltending to carry them into the gold medal game. Who they meet there is a tougher question, but Canada should be the class of Pool A if they play as well as the roster's potential shows.

We'll see if this squad can make it back-to-back gold medals at the FISU Winter Universiade when the tournament starts on January 11!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!