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
| 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.
| 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!
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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!
| 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.
| 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.
| 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.
| Name | New School | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SASKATCHEWAN | SK | D | NA | NA | |
NIPISSING | ON | D | NA | NA | |
ALBERTA | AB | F | NA | NA | |
RED DEER | AB | F | NA | NA | |
RED DEER | AB | F | NA | NA | |
| Molly Mitchell | no move | ?? | G | NA | NA |
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!
https://twitter.com/rdcqueenshockey/status/1266169000297283584?s=21
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