The Tournament Returns

We are officially six days from one of the biggest and best annual tournaments in this great nation in which prep school and AAA teams participate. While it took 2021 off due to the pandemic, the 2022 edition of the Female World Sport School Challenge is ready to roll from April 28 to May 1 at the BellMTS Iceplex in Winnipeg with twelve of the country's best teams coming to play. We normally don't see hockey of this level being played at this time of year unless AAA teams are getting set for the Esso Cup, but the tournament had to be pushed back to the end of April with some of the pandemic lockdown rules in effect in January when this tournament normally takes place. Regardless of when it happens, this is always a great tournament so make your way down to the rink if you can!

The field is normally sixteen teams deep, but, with the tournament going later in the year than normal, a number of the usual suspects won't be in Winnipeg next weekend. The Edmonton Pandas won't be there to try and repeat as champions. The Lloydminster Steelers won't be heading east as they've wrapped up their season. The Vancouver Island Seals are't coming, and the Thunder Bay Queens have also opted out of the tournament.

That doesn't mean there won't be competition next weekend from some of this country's best teams, so here's a quick primer on who is coming and who to keep an eye on if you're coming down to watch.

The Calgary Fire will head east to play in the tournament, and they always have a competitive team in all of the years we've seen them play. They have yet to make a FWSSC final in the times they've played, but they'll have a solid team in Winnipeg this year. Keep an eye out for sisters Laralee and Leighanna Rizarri, leading scorer Jennifer Shaw, and Adrian College recruit Ashlynn Stitt as they look to push to the Fire to new heights in this event. Kalle Hastman was the top rookie in the AFHL this past season as well, so opponents would be wise to watch for #15 on the ice.

The Westman Wildcats will make an appearance at the tournament fresh off their MFHL championship this season. Currently playing against the Notre Dame Hounds in the regional qualifer for the Esso Cup, the Wildcats look to continue their winning ways at the Iceplex where they defeated the Winnipeg Ice in the MFHL Final. Backstopped by MFHL playoff MVP Grace Glover and led by Callie Rice and Brooklyn Franklin, the Wildcats are playing some solid hockey at the right time of year. Regina Cougars recruit Kelsey Page, Minot State recruit Makenna Beard, and Assiniboine College recruit Emma Ramsey should all be in the Wildcats' lineup when they take the ice next week! Could this be their year for a FWSSC gold medal?

Formerly known as the Banff Hockey Academy before they moved to Medicine Hat, the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy will make its first appearance under its new name at the tournament. While Banff had moderate success at the event in previous years, SAHA went 11-14-1-2 this season to finish in tenth-place out of the twelve CSSHL teams in the U18 Prep Division. Téa Pearce led the team with 24 points while defender Kendal Davidson - a finalist for the CSSHL Female U18 Prep Top Defender Award - paced the squad with 11 goals. It's pretty clear that this women's program is trending upwards, so playing against some of the best teams in Canada will only further the squad's development for future seasons!

The Pilot Mound Buffaloes return to the FWSSC after playig in the last few events. Pilot Mound finished with a 5-18-0-2 record this season in the CSSHL to put them twelfth out of twelve teams, but there's a lot to like from this squad. Morgan Settee led the team with 18 goals and 27 points, Hailey Hojnocki was nominated as a finalist for Most Sportsmanlike Player in the CSSHL while notching 16 points, and defender Davanna Ditto scored five of her eight points with the extra attacker. Their record may not indicate it, but the Buffaloes could surprise a few teams at this year's event!

The Pembina Valley Hawks come into the tournament after finishing 14-14-0 this season for fifth-place in the MFHL. They fell to the Winnipeg Ice in the opening round of the playoffs, but it was a solid season on the ice for a number of Hawks. University of Alberta recruit Abbey Bourdeaud'hui finished the season as the fourth-highest scorer in the MFHL with 37 points while University of Jamestown recruit Annika Braun had ten goals and 19 points and captain Quinn McLaren was named as a MFHL First-Team All-Star defender. The Hawks shouldn't be overlooked in this tournament, especially if they find their scoring touch.

The Rink Hockey Adacemy - Kelowna comes into the tournament as the reigning CSSHL U18 Prep champions after defeating Delta Hockey Academy back in March. They boast ten players who scored 20-or-more points this season, and were led by MVP nominee and Clarkson recruit Sara Swiderski who, as a defender, finished the season with 34 points. Boston University recruit and CSSHL Top Defender nominee Brooke Disher had 33 points as a defender, Merrimack recruit Sophie McKinley had 31 points, and Brown recruit Jade Iginla - yes, she's this guy's daughter - had 28 points. This team can score, can defend, and looks like it might be a favorite to win the 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge!

The Edge School returns to the tournament after a few years away, and they have won this event in the past. Edge finished the CSSHL season at 12-12-1-3 to land in seventh-place, but defeated Northern Alberta and Delta in the playoffs. Kyla Mitenko and Raedyn Spademan finished the season atop the scoring list for Edge with 22 points, and they were backstopped by CSSHL Goaltender of the Year nominee Farah Walker who finished the season with an 8-5-1 record, a 2.46 GAA, and a .921 save percentage. Mount Royal recruit Jordyn Hutt had seven goals and 17 points, so it would be wise to keep an eye on her as well!

For the first time in the tournament's history, a team from Quebec will make an appearance as Stanstead College heads west! The JWHL team is one of two in the tournament, and the Spartans loaded with talent as Hungarian Emma Kreisz, who will play with the University of Minnesota, led the team with 19 goals while leading scorer and defender Gracie Gilkyson is off to Yale after scoring 34 points. Other players to watch include Goaltender Mégane Pilon who will head to Brown and defender Camille Richard who will suit up for U SPORTS national champion Concordia. At 24-6-1, Stanstead College could make a big impact in their first appearance at the FWSSC if the Spartans bring the same effort as they showed in the JWHL!

While the majority of the teams shown above come from outside Winnipeg, there are a few teams that will participate who call the Manitoba city home. The four Winnipeg-based team have one from each of the MFHL and the JWHL while two squads represent the CSSHL as they compete for the FWSSC gold medal next week!

The Winnipeg-based JWHL team is the Balmoral Hall Blazers who ended the season with a 19-12-1 record. Balmoral Hall was solid all season long in the JWHL, and they look to bring that game to the FWSSC. Led by University of Manitoba recruit Dana Goertzen and Trinity Western recruit Kara Yackell, they're solid from top to bottom. Goaltender Anya Epp is heading to UPEI next season, Oceane Asham will suit up for Minnesota State-Mankato, and Karolina Sykorova will skate for Lindenwood as the Blazers continue to see their players excel. Can they get back to the podium at the FWSSC? They should be in the running!

We already met one of the MFHL finalists, so let's bring in the other as the Winnipeg Ice will also play at the 2022 FWSSC! The Ice finished in fourth-place with a 15-10-3 record this season, and they went on an incredible tear through the playoffs. Led by University of Alberta recruit and MFHL First-Team All-Star Maia Ehmann with 22 goals and 42 points to finish second in league scoring, the Ice got strong contributions from soon-to-be University of Jamestown defender Brooklyn Balazovic, Ava Bergman who had 23 points, and 13-goal scorer Stephanie Jacob. If Laura Melizza continues her strong netminding from the playoffs, the Winnipeg Ice should be a favorite at this year's tournament to land on the podium!

One of the two CSSHL teams in the city, Rink Hockey Academy - Winnipeg enters the tournament after a 12-13-0-1 season that saw them finish in sixth-place in the CSSHL standings. They recorded a win over St. Mary's Academy in the playoffs, and they'll look to build on that at the FWSSC. Led by CSSHL MVP nominee Keara Parker and her 17 goals and 32 points, Rink got great contributions from Billie Baranyk with ten goals, defender Glory Plett with 24 points, and 2006-born Kate Nechwediuk with 26 points. Rink Winnipeg will be looking to hit the podium for the first time this year!

The St. Mary's Academy Flames are the host team for the FWSSC, and they finished the CSSHL season with a 15-10-0-0 record that placed them third in the league. The Flames boast four players who hit double-digits in goals - Reese Chuback, Tyla Turnbull, Charlotte Buffie, and Hannah Dennehy - and they'll need that scoring in short tournament. Mia Faseruk is a CSSHL nominee for top freshman after scoring six goals and 12 points, and Turnbull, an Adrian College recruit, is up for the CSSHL's Most Sportsmanlike Award after scoring 15 goals and 28 points. The hosts have a long legacy of medal finishes at the FWSSC, but this year they're looking to add some more gold to the trophy case after a number of silver-medal finishes!

If you're looking to catch games, seeing them live is the best way to go. The cost to get in is rather inexpensive - $5 per game or $20 for a tournament pass! As shown above, there are a pile of university-bound players who will be playing as they look to continue to hone their skills for next season and beyond, and this tournament always seems to have some incredible moments of hockey. Games can also be watched on HockeyTV if you're outside the Winnipeg area, and 101.5 UMFM will be broadcasting the games on its internet stream from the Subway rink throughout the entire tournament including the gold medal game!

It should be another great four days of action down at the BellMTS Iceplex and I'm looking forward to seeing these twelve teams bring their best as they look to capture a gold medal to cap off the 2021-22 hockey season! I hope you'll join us at the rink or on UMFM to hear the games as we find out which of the twelve teams above will be named the 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge champions!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!