Stellar Recruits

According to NASA, the image to the left is the birth of a star. I don't know much about astrophysics or cosmology, but I know I've seen stars born in the Canada West Conference over my time working around the league, and some of those stars have gone on to light the path for the next wave of stars that followed. Of course, we're talking about the recruits that have broke into Canada West and done some rather amazing things at the schools they attended both on and off the ice, and it seems we may finally have the final recruiting info for the 2020-21 season that may or may not happen in the 20-game format proposed by Canada West.

If there's one thing I do know about the birth of stars, it's that they shine brightly once they make an appearance, and I have no doubt that this year's recruits by the nine Canada West schools will be amazing additions to the already-talented women who make up the Canada West women's hockey conference. Let's work through this school by school so you're ready to go whenever the new Canada West season gets underway!

Before you run through the lists, I need to qualify these lists. These are the players that have either signed a letter of intent and been registered with U SPORTS OR these are players who have been announced by the schools themselves and are in the process of registering with U SPORTS. These lists may not be final or complete based upon needs of the teams, but they are complete to today's date.

As you read through these, the "Current" is the last team or current team they played with while "Prv." is the province or state where that team is found. You'll also notice a few bolded, yellow names. Those are former Lethbridge Pronghorns players or recruits who opted to move elsewhere with the announcement that the Pronghorns hockey programs were being shuttered.

With that information, here are all the players joining the nine Canada West teams in 2020-21.

Canada West Recruits

Alberta Pandas

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Hayleigh Craig	Lloydminster	AB	F	13	7
Jadynn Morden	Lloydminster	AB	F	26	10
Allison Reich	St. Albert Slash	AB	F	12	10
Bree Kennedy	Edge School	AB	F	8	13
Danica Namaka	The Rink Academy	MB	F	30	42
Jada Livingston	Notre Dame Hounds	SK	D	4	15
Abby Soyko	Northern Alberta	AB	F	14	13

Howie Draper brings in the high-scoring Namaka after she transferred from St. Mary's Academy to The Rink Academy for her final season at the prep level. Adding to her talent would be the two Steelers in Morden and Craig who have no trouble working together. Kennedy and Reich should provide some nice depth scoring once they reach their peaks as well while Jada Livingston will be given every opportunity to play her way into the lineup. Perhaps the biggest coup for Howie, though, was landing Abby Soyko who was the scoring star for the Northern Alberta X-Treme, and she should be able to find a spot in the Pandas lineup with her scoring talents.

Calgary Dinos

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Alli Borrow	Lethbridge	AB	F	4	10
Kyra Greig	Lethbridge	AB	F	7	11
Grace Machholz	Liberty U. (NCAA)	VI	F	11	17
Ashley Sutherland	Red Deer (ACAC)	AB	D	8	10

It seems Danielle Goyette is aiming for top spot in the conference with the additions of four veteran players. We know Borrow and Greig can score from their days with the Pronghorns, and Machholz will reunite with former teammate Annaliese Meier after being a point-per-game player at Division-I Liberty University. Bringing in the talented Sutherland who showed all sorts of growth with Red Deer College last season makes the Calgary blue line stronger immediately. The Dinos look scary-good again this season!

MacEwan Griffins

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Aryn Chambers	Red Deer Chiefs	AB	D	5	5
Brooklyn Schroeder	St. Albert Slash	AB	F	2	4
Kallie O'Hearn	Delta Academy	BC	D	2	11
Rebecca Thiessen	Balmoral Hall	MB	D	2	7
Robyn Short	Northern Alberta	AB	D	1	5
Jenny Andrash	Delta Academy	BC	F	11	15
Brooke Fawcett	MT1R - Alberta	AB	G	3.33	.882
Grace Crooks	Calgary Fire	AB	F	4	3
Makenna Schuttler	St. Albert Slash	AB	F	4	16
Sage Sansregret	Lethbridge	AB	F	4	2
Mila Verbicky	Lethbridge	AB	F	3	3

I like what Lindsay McAlpine is doing here. She has a young squad who will grow together, but has enough talent and scoring to rattle some cages in Canada West at the very least. Adding in Sansregret and Verbicky who already have a season of CanWest hockey under their belts with Lethbridge will go a long way in having experience at this level, Aryn Chambers looks like a top-pairing defender from what she showed this season, Makenna Schuttler had the Ottawa GeeGees excited for her scoring as a recruit for the school before opting to stay closer to home, and all Jenny Andrash did for Delta Academy was score. This MacEwan team will be good, and teams can't sleep on them.

Manitoba Bisons

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Brenna Nicol	Thunder Bay	ON	F	NA	NA
Hanna Bailey	Regina Rebels	SK	D	7	12
Meagan Relf	St. Mary's Academy	MB	G	2.78	.907
Kylie Lesuk	Eastman Selects	MB	F	20	26
Aimee Patrick	St. Mary's Academy	MB	F	20	29
Jena Barscello	Yellowhead Chiefs	MB	F	21	20
Kimmy Davidson	Delta Academy	BC	G	1.36	.934

After Manitoba had spells where scoring goals seemed impossible last season, Jon Rempel went out and added three 20-goal scorers from Manitoba in Barscello, Lesuk, and Patrick while bringing in an offensive defender in Bailey to help push the play. Reports out of Thunder Bay indicate that Nicol is coming to Manitoba after leading the Queens in scoring, so there's another weapon for Jon to deploy. With just Erin Fargey as an everyday netminder for the Bisons, both Relf and Davidson will be given the opportunity to grab that backup spot, but I suspect we'll see a bit of a rotation with the two backups all season long based on their stats coming into camp.

Mount Royal Cougars

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Sydney Trotter	Rocky Mountain	AB	D	2	9
Kaia Borbandy	Rocky Mountain	AB	F	7	15
Sydney Benko	Rocky Mountain	AB	F	13	9
Alexandria Spence	Lloydminster	AB	D	2	5
Courtney Kollman	RMU (NCAA)	PA	F	5	6
Taylor Sawka	Clarkson (NCAA)	NY	F	3	2

The Mount Royal Trotters, er, Cougars added the third Trotter daughter as Sydney joins Cassidy and Breanne on the squad. Joining Sydney are Raiders teammates Kaia Borbandy and Sydney Benko who were the top-two scorers for the Raiders this past season. Spence comes in as a steady, reliable defender who will only get better, and the addition of former Robert Morris University forward Courtney Kollman might be one of Scott Rivett's best recruiting jobs in a long time as the Canada West finalists only get better with these five players!

UPDATE: Make it six players with the announcement of Taylor Sawka on June 3. Sawka played in a checking role for the Golden Knights last season after being named as the team's Rookie of the Year the year before. With Sawka added to an already-talented incoming class, it seems clear that the Cougars are aiming for top spot in the conference this year.

Regina Cougars

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Tavia Terry	Regina Rebels	SK	F	11	22
Megan Long	Edmonton Pandas	AB	D	3	5
Shaelyn Myers	Regina Rebels	SK	F	9	11
Arden Kliewer	Saskatoon Stars	SK	G	2.78	.921
Ally Kosteniuk	Weyburn Gold Wings	SK	F	3	2
Lauren Focht	Regina Rebels	SK	F	14	13
Kaitlyn Bassett	Balmoral Hall	MB	D	0	3
Mariah McKersie	Red Deer (ACAC)	AB	D	2	3

After losing their top forward, defender, and goalie, Sarah Hodges needed to add some flair to her team, and she'll get it from Rebels teammates Focht and Terry who were dynamic for Regina all season. Megan Long has all the traits of a franchise defender while Katie Bassett will eat up minutes with her dogged defensive play. Myers looks to be a solid depth scoring threat while Kosteniuk missed most of last year, but appears poised to regain her scoring form in Canada West. Kliewer will join a crowded crease, but the Cougars showed that goaltending can solve a lot of problems last season and there will be hope that Kliewer can find the same success as this young Cougars team gets better with this class of recruits!

Saskatchewan Huskies

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Kelsey Hall	St. Albert Slash	AB	F	8	6
Brooklyn Stevely	POE Academy	BC	D	5	17
McKenna Bolger	Calgary Fire	AB	D	4	3
Jasper Desmarais	Prince Albert	SK	F	7	6
Sara Kendall	Swift Current	SK	F	20	27
Kendra Zuchotzki	Notre Dame Hounds	SK	D	2	8
Jessie Herner	Prince Albert	SK	D	2	4
Colby Wilson	POE Academy	BC	G	1.38	.943
Emily Holmes	Saskatoon Stars	SK	D	6	5
Jayda Sachs	Waterloo (OUA)	ON	F	1	3
Meg Dyer	Lethbridge	AB	D	1	3
Mallory Dyer	Edge School	AB	F	9	9

Steve Kook's largest recruiting class in years has all sorts of potential, and will be led by scoring dynamo Sara Kendall and potential first-pairing defender Brooklyn Stevely. Hall, Desmarais, and Sachs will be given opportunities to grow into roles while the addition of Lethbridge recruit Mallory Dyer will add a big-bodied scoring threat up front for the Huskies. The blue line will get an immediate talent infusion from former Pronghorn Meg Dyer while Bolger, Herner, and Zuchotzki all complement the pieces with their skills that the Huskies currently boast. Adding in one of the best goalies at the prep level last season in Colby Wilson only means that the Huskies will continue to boast some of the best netminding in the nation.

Trinity Western Spartans

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Desiree Wiens	Pacific Steelers	BC	F	12	1
Jade Ridgewell	Pacific Steelers	BC	D	3	7
Emma Killman	Pacific Steelers	BC	D	0	4
Kate Bumstead	St. Mary's	MB	D	6	14
Lainie Nichols	St. Mary's	MB	D	2	16
McKenzie Mayo	Prince Albert	SK	D	6	7
Brooklyn Anderson	Prince Albert	SK	F	8	9
Jordan Mackow	Winnipeg Avros	BC	G	1.42	.938
Reilly Kellner	OHA	ON	D	3	2
Ryleigh White	Swift Current	SK	D	4	13
Ashlee Wolfe	Swift Current	SK	F	14	9
Jacelyn Scott	Lloydminster	AB	D	3	5
Neisha Germann	Red Deer (ACAC)	AB	F	5	7
Chantel Weller	Regina Rebels	SK	G	1.17	.945
Chloe Reid	Edmonton	AB	F	8	8
Cheyenna Harden	Northern Alberta	AB	F	6	6
Brooklyn Moore	Northern Alberta	AB	F	4	10
Brooklyn Rublee	Swift Current	SK	F	6	22
Laurel Gollnick	Shawnigan Lake	BC	F	5	6
Georgi Aus	Little Falls HS	MN	F	1	1
Hayley Johnson	Winnipeg Avros	MB	F	28	26

In true expansion team form, the Spartans appear to be building a brand-new team. Head coach Jean Laforest will open up the roster and let players claim spots, it seems, as Year One of the Spartans looks like it will lay the foundation for this team. Wiens is a pure goal scorer, Johnson was one of the best two-way forwards for the Avros, Wolfe plays a solid forward game while Rublee will give her some familiarity as a teammate, and Harden and Moore could work as an effective pairing out of the Northern Alberta program. Defensively, the pairings of Bumstead-Nichols and Ridgeway-Killman should allow them to work effectively as pre-set tandems on the blue line. The battle between Mackow and Weller could go all season long as both goalies look to grab the starter's role, and that will help TWU as they elevate their games. Either way, expect the Spartans to consistently improve as the season progresses with the talent they've assembled.

UBC Thunderbirds

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Sierra LaPlante	Calgary Fire	AB	D	3	6
Sophia Gaskell	Greater Vancouver	BC	D	20	20
Olivia Buckley	Okanagan	BC	F	5	9
Karine Sandilands	Balmoral Hall	MB	F	8	3
Elise Hugens	Edmonton	AB	G	0.96	.957
Ashton Thorpe	Okanagan	BC	D	2	6

UBC's recruiting class under Graham Thomas brings more size, scoring, and puck-stopping. Gaskell was lights-out for the Comets when it came to scoring with her 5'7" frame, Sandilands plays a solid two-way game and stands in at 5'7", and LaPlante was the captain of the Fire while towering in at 5'10". The odd-player out, it seems, is Buckley who stands in at 5'3", but she's a shifty playmaker who should get to the front of the net for the T-Birds. Hugens was stellar all season long for the Pandas, backstopping the Pandas to a Female World Sport School Challenge gold medal this year, so it seems the Thunderbirds will have excellent netminding for years to come. Having these weapons at his disposal makes Thomas' team just as dangerous as last season.

UPDATE: It was registered later by U SPORTS last Wednesday, but Ashton Thorpe's addition to the UBC blue line is a solid add by Thomas. Originally committed to RIT in the NCAA, Thorpe will bring her 5'7" frame to the Thunderbirds next season instead.

Now, I normally would tell you how excited I am to see all these players on the ice next season, but there's still some unfinished business to go over regarding the Lethbridge Pronghorns. As you know, they too had built a recruiting class, so here are those recruits with those who have moved on crossed out. I'll explain further below.

Lethbridge Pronghorns

Name	New School	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Mallory Dyer	SASKATCHEWAN	SK	D	NA	NA
Emma Neff	NIPISSING	ON	D	NA	NA
Abby Soyko	ALBERTA	AB	F	NA	NA
Alli Soyko	RED DEER	AB	F	NA	NA
Madeleine Noonan	RED DEER	AB	F	NA	NA
Molly Mitchell	no move	??	G	NA	NA
Maddy McCleary	SAINT MARY'S	NS	D	NA	NA
Jade Sandberg	no move	??	F	NA	NA
Teah Workman	no move	??	D	NA	NA

Emma Neff made the jump to the OUA to join the Nipissing Lakers which is a good move for her as the Lakers are a strong program in the OUA and only getting better. As highlighted above, Mallory Dyer joined Saskatchewan with her sister, Meg, and Abby Soyko remained in northern Alberta as the Pandas signed her to a letter of intent. Maddy McCleary is on her way to the east coast to join the Saint Mary's Huskies (stick-tap to Dave)! And the Red Deer College Queens have inked Alli Soyko!

UPDATE: Jade Sandberg from the Lloydminster Steelers and Teah Workman from the Calgary Fire, who weren't announced by the Pronghorns as recruits but had made preliminary agreements to join the Pronghorns, appear to still be on their radar as well (stick-tap to Josh for that info!).

UPDATE #2: Maddy Noonan is on the move as she joined the Red Deer College Queens on June 7 as announced by Red Deer! She'll be a great addition to the Queens lineup as they look to capture an ACAC championship!

Still either looking for homes or working to restore the Pronghorns program are Molly Mitchell, a big goaltender who played very well in the Lloydminster system while posting a 2.06 GAA and a .940 save percentage; Jade Sandberg, a 5'10" forward with good skating and great vision as shown in her four goals and 10 assists; and, Teah Workman, a talented offensive defender who recorded 11 goals and 17 assists in the Calgary Fire program.

There are amazing players from that Pronghorns team that are still sitting on the sidelines as we inch closer to the start of next season - Eryn Johansen, Kenzie Lausberg, Brooklyn Palmer, Kianna Dietz, Eva DeBaie, Madison Porter, Ali Aitken, Tallon Stephenson, Ashlee Hodge-Hirschfield, Rose Noonan and Stephanie Gross - who still have two-or-more years of eligibility left that would instantly make a handful of Canada West teams better or a number of teams across this nation better. While I fully respect their efforts to revive the Pronghorns program so they can play in Lethbridge once again, I suspect that they'd be happy to join another program to continue playing hockey. If there's a roster spot opening up on a team for whatever reason, I implore you to reach out to one of these women and see if they'd be interested. You're gonna get a helluva player if they make the move to your program, I assure you.

In saying that, seeing these new recruits getting in the groove for hockey with their new teams is exciting, and I'm anxious to get the season started so we can see which rookies jump off the page and into stardom! If there are more announcements, I'll add to this page, so keep your eyes locked on this article regarding all the 2020-21 rookies!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!