The Rundown - Primary Scoring

There are many factors that go into winning games as you're likely aware, but the one factor that rises above all else is the ability to score goals. Scoring goals with any regularity at any level takes some talent, but it also needs to be sustainable and consistent for coaches to continue putting those players on the ice when a goal is needed. This is where knowing who your primary scoring threats are - those who either score goals or setup goals or do both well. If a goal is needed, it's likely a coach would turn to his best scorers and let them skate, but it seems some coaches either don't optimize lines nor give primary scorers the linemates one needs to be successful. Today, we'll pull the curtain back on who is doing the bulk of the scoring in Canada West on a regular basis.

Primary points - goals plus primary assists - include two of the main skills that teams need from players in order to win. Goals are pretty self-evident as no team has ever won a game tied 0-0, and not scoring enough goals on a per-game basis usually results in losses in games. You have to score goals to win, so goal-scoring talent is something all coaches want in players.

Primary assists are more of a contentious issue since some will argue that all assists are important when it comes to winning. Let me state a very obvious point: assists do not exist without goals, so you need goals to be scored to record assists of any kind. Primary assists, though, are seen as a "repeatable skill" in that good playmaking players will see opportunities to set up teammates for goals more than, say, a player who simply dishes a puck off to the winger on the half-boards.

As I stated last season, I'm not here to debate the significance of secondary assists. Primary assists are seen as part of the primary points category because playmaking skills should persist from year to year for players if they are setting up goals directly. There could be an element of luck to this, but the statistic is seen as a player recognizing an opportunity more than it is getting a lucky rebound to bounce to an open teammate. Good players see shooting and passing lanes to make those types of plays happen.

Broad Street Hockey defined all this in a solid write-up with data where they stated, "Someone who sets up a lot of goals this year probably has vision and puck control skills that make him likely to do so again next year". I tend to agree with this assessment, so primary points - goals plus primary assists - give us a better idea of who is doing all the scoring in Canada West more accurately.

Let's see who is driving scoring in the 2022 part of the 2022-23 Canada West season.

Top Scorers

Name	Team	Points	Name	Team	PrPoints
T. Amy	MRU	24	T. Amy	MRU	18
A. Jomha	MRU	20	E. Lang	CAL	16
C. Bassi	UBC	18	C. Kollman	MRU	14
A. Potomak	TWU	17	A. Jomha	MRU	14
E. Lang	CAL	17	B. Anderson	TWU	14
M. Willan	ALB	17	M. Willan	ALB	14
C. Kollman	MRU	16	A. Potomak	TWU	13
H. Koroll	UBC	16	H. Koroll	UBC	12
B. Anderson	TWU	15	C. Bassi	UBC	12
E. Bergesen	MRU	14	A. Borrow	CAL	12

The total on the left is the current scoring race while the total on the right is the primary points scoring, and it's clear these women are driving the offence for their teams. Most of the top scorers are also the top primary point producers which shouldn't surprise anyone, but I should note the players who moved up and moved down. There are explanations for both, but these are the women who either setup goals or score goals with regularity in Canada West.

If we wanted to break this down further, let's take a look at whose names are generally listed for primary assists the most. That would mean they're setting players up for good looks at the net which are usually turned into goals.

The Playmakers

Name	Team	Assists	Name	Team	PrAssists
T. Amy	MRU	18	T. Amy	MRU	12
H. Koroll	UBC	13	H. Koroll	UBC	9
A. Jomha	MRU	13	E. Lang	CAL	8
C. Bassi	UBC	13	M. Willan	ALB	8
E. Bergensen	MRU	12	E. Bergesen	MRU	7
M. Willan	ALB	11	T. Wilkinson	SAS	7
T. Anker	MRU	9	C. Bassi	TWU	7
E. Lang	UBC	9	A. Jomha	UBC	7

The total on the left is the assists leaders from this season's scoring while the right is who leads in primary assists. Again, there should be no surprise that the woman who leads the conference in assists also has the most primary assists as Tatam Amy is having a great campaign. However, when the second-most primary assists belongs to a UBC defender, that suggests that a lot of UBC's offence is generated by Hannah Koroll. The same could be said for Emma Bergesen at Mount Royal, and keep an eye on Taylor Wilkinson out in Saskatchewan as she's showing all sorts of play-making abilities.

Of course, playmakers need finishers, so who is doing all the goal scoring? TWU's Amy Potomak leads the way with 11 goals while UBC rookie Cassidy Rhodes has ten goals this season as the only players in double-digits. Needless to say, Potomak's primary points total is boosted by her ability to finish, but Rhodes is a Cy Young candidate as she has ten goals, but no primary assists on the season yet.

Beyond those two, MRU's Courtney Kollman and Calgary's Alli Borrow sit tied for third in goals with nine apiece, and hot on their heels is the trio of Calgary's Elizabeth Lang, Alberta's Payton Laumbach, and Trinity Western's Brooklyn Anderson who all have eight goals each. If you're looking for trends, I have one that jumps out immediately in that all four of the teams on which these players mentioned above play have no less than 42 goals on the season, and all four teams are currently in a playoff spot.

It should be noted that these numbers favour forwards in terms of playmaking, but let's not forget that defenders drive the play up the ice with solid breakouts and zone entries at times. In saying that, let's take a quick peek at the top defenders for primary points.

The Defenders

Name	Team	Points	Name	Team	PrPoints
H. Koroll	UBC	16	H. Koroll	UBC	12
E. Bergesen	MRU	14	E. Bergesen	MRU	9
T. Kezama	ALB	10	S. Gaskell	UBC	9
T. Anker	ALB	10	T. Kezama	ALB	8
S. Gaskell	UBC	9	C. Debusschere	TWU	7
K. Zuchotzki	SAS	9	K. Zuchotzki	SAS	7
H. Pennell	REG	8	M. Butz	MRU	7

Again, the total on the left is the defender points leaders from this season while the right is who leads in primary defender points. It's not hard to see why UBC and MRU may be leading the conference in goals and points, but it's also quite noticeable that the five teams represented on the primary points list are all sitting with 20-or-more points and are comfortably in a playoff spot right now. You can argue with me until you're blue in the face if you like, but defender scoring is directly correlated with team success.

And as surprising as this was to me, let's throw out a little credit to UBC's Elise Hugens who is the only netminder in the last couple of seasons to record a primary assist. Goalies rarely get credit for the primary assist due to the distance they play from the opposition's net, but Elise picked up the lone assist on Rylind MacKinnon's second-period goal on Thursday, November 10 in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Spartans. More goalie points like Hugens' assist would be fun, I admit, but goalies are on the ice to prevent assists, not add them.

How about the kids? Here are the rookie scoring leaders.

The Rookies

Name	Team	Points	Name	Team	PrPoints
C. Rhodes	UBC	13	C. Rhodes	UBC	10
T. Wilkinson	SAS	10	T. Wilkinson	SAS	10
S. Mercier	CAL	9	S. Mercier	CAL	7
J. Fleming	UBC	7	J. Fleming	UBC	5
S. Kazeil	ALB	7	S. Zuck	CAL	4
A. Metzger	MRU	5	A Metzger	MRU	4

Not much variation between the leading scorers and the leading primary points scorers, but I should note a couple of things. Cassidy Rhodes' goal-scoring prowess has her at the top of the list as she has zero primary assists. The same can be said for Mount Royal's Ava Metzger as she has yet to register a primary assist this season.

If we're just looking at playmakers, Taylor Wilkinson leads the way with seven helpers while Sydney Mercier has four assists to her name. They lead the way in terms of making passes which result in goals, but this list literally will give us a good idea who potentially could drive the offences of these teams for the next few years. Last season, Aliya Jomha was second in rookie scoring and primary points scoring for freshmen, and she's second in points and tied for third in primary points this season. Keep an eye on these players!

I'm also going to break this down by team to give you a more detailed look at who is scoring for each team. Players who are tied in points will be ranked according to the primary assists. I'll have some commentary after the team stats are posted.

Madison Willan - 14
Payton Laumbach - 11
Cassidy Maplethorpe - 10

Elizabeth Lang - 16
Alli Borrow - 12
Sydney Mercier - 7

Allee Isley - 4
Makenna Schuttler - 4
Sydney Olsen - 3

Kate Gregoire - 11
Sarah Dennehy - 6
Julia Bird - 6

Tatum Amy - 18
Aliya Jomha - 14
Courtney Kollman - 14

Paige Hubbard - 6
Olivia Leggett - 5
Jenna Merk - 5

Taylor Wilkinson - 10
Kennedy Brown - 9
Kendra Zuchotzki - 7

Brooklyn Anderson - 14
Amy Potomak - 13
Olivia Leier - 8

Hannah Koroll - 12
Chanreet Bassi - 12
Cassidy Rhodes - 10

You're likely doing well in the standings if your team has at least a couple of players in double-digit primary points scoring. Every single playoff team has at least two players who have more than ten primary points with the exception of one: Saskatchewan. The catch with the Huskies, though, is that they are tied for the second-fewest goals allowed this season. It would serve them greatly to start scoring a little more if they hope to return to Nationals this season, but I'll leave that up to head coach Steve Kook and his staff to implement.

Those Who Need More

The three non-playoff teams at the moment simply aren't getting the consistency they need to be dangerous. However, let's not forget that the purpose of identifying primary points scorers is to identify those who consistently score compared to players who may find themselves in an ideal situation. It may also point out shortcomings in coaching decisions when it comes to line combinations or systems. That's a larger discussion, but points matter and three teams simply aren't seeing season-to-season scoring consistency.

The only player from the Fluffy Cows, MacEwan, and Regina who appeared last season and this season is Kate Gregoire, and there was never any doubt when it comes to her ability to score goals. The Fluffy Cows been without the services of Halle Edwards for most of the season, so that may explain some of the missing offence. MacEwan still hasn't fixed their scoring problem from last season, so there's not a lot one can do there unless something changes systemically. Two of three Regina Cougars who led last season are gone, and Ireland Sorestad hasn't had the best start to the season.

Unless a number of players step up in the second-half of the season for these three teams, getting back into the playoff picture will get harder and harder with every game. Scoring by committee is great, but it also means that everyone has to score consistently. Otherwise, there may be long periods of time where only one or two players find the back of the net, and that's not playoff hockey in any league.

The Middle Of The Pack

I feel fairly confident that both Saskatchewan and Trinity Western will make the Canada West playoffs, and likely will face one another in an opening round series. I say this simply due to how their scoring is spread throughout their lineups, and it's not likely to change unless other players take it upon themselves to make them dangerous.

Chelsea Debusschere and Olivia Leier are good secondary scoring options for the Spartans behind Anderson and Potomak, but getting more out of Mackenzie Mayo, Jordyn Matthews, and Neisha Germann would go a long way. I get that not everyone can play on the top line, but someone needs to find some consistent scoring deeper in the Spartans' lineup if they want to go deep into the playoffs. Shutting down a couple of players or one line in a three-game playoff series is something most good teams can do, so the Spartans need more out of their supporting cast.

The Huskies are getting good scoring out of Brown and Sophie Lalor while Wilkinson has shown she can put passes on tape for goals. Zuchotzki has been solid on the blue line, but the Huskies need more primary scoring out of Kara Kondrat, Mallory Dyer, Kate Ball, and Sara Kendall. Isabella Pozzi and Brooklyn Stevely have been solid defensively, but they, along with Larissa Bohlken, can really drive the play if given the chance. I know the Huskies will never sacrifice defence for offence unless absolutely necessary, but I feel like the Huskies are bursting at the seams with scoring potential that has yet to be realized.

Calgary is seeing good returns with Lang, Borrow, and Mercier playing well, but they really do need some depth scoring to step up consistently. Annaliese Meier really came on in the last few weeks prior to the December break, but they'll need more out of players like Rebecca Clarke, Brooke Dennett, and Sophia Zuck. Adding in a few points from the blue line wouldn't hurt either.

There are ten games left for these teams to round into form, so let's see what happens in January as all three teams look to catch Alberta while jockeying for positon with one another.

The Top Guns

The Mount Royal line of Jomha-Amy-Kollman might be the most complete line in the conference, but it also means that other players have to contribute further down the lineup. Lyndsey Janes and Athena Hauck have shown up for a few games, but disappeared some weekends. The same can be said for Camryn Amundson and Ava Metzger. That's not to say that any of these women won't go on a mad tear in the second-half of the season, but Mount Royal is deeper than one line. They need to show that consistency.

Alberta might be turning the corner based on how they finished the first-half of the schedule. Yes, Willan, Laumbach, and Maplethorpe have done their jobs as expected, but we saw Jadynn Morden and Natalie Kieser really pick up steam as December neared. Abby Soyko cooled off a bit, but the Pandas had others that picked up the slack as Kallie Clouston and Danica Namaka found the back of the net. With Taylor Kezama and Taylor Anker pushing the offence from the blue line, they're finding scoring from all over the roster, and that bodes well for the Pandas if that secondary scoring continues.

The one team that has had no trouble lighting lamps is UBC, and they're getting offence from all over the place. Yes, Koroll, Bassi, and Rhodes are performing well, but Ireland Perrott, Sophia Gaskell, Mia Bierd, and Joelle Fiala have all been contributing as well. Rylind MacKinnon, who was a monster on the UBC blue line last season, picked up her game heading into December, and Sierra LaPlante is looking more confident with every game. Make no mistake that the offensive beast in Canada West is UBC, but they were upset in Nationals by an OUA team that simply locked down the neutral and defensive zones in a 1-0 loss to Nipissing. Can the Thunderbirds make adjustments this season to prevent that again?

The Last Word

What does this all mean? Honestly, nothing if you're content with just watching the games. However, knowing who is putting pucks in the net or putting pucks on sticks which end up in the net is a good thing to have in your back pocket if you're planning strategy to beat one or more of these teams. Shutting down their best offensive players is the best way to ensure a victory. Wins matter, I'm told.

Beyond this statistical look, I do want to wish those celebrating it a "Happy Hanukkah" as the Jewish holiday's eight nights begin today. The Festival of Lights is always celebrated at or near the winter solstice, so be safe if you're celebrating today and the next few days.

I also realize that next Sunday is Christmas Day, so I'm warning you now that I'm bumping The Rundown to Monday as I'll be spending Sunday with family. After all the rules surrounding the pandemic about getting together, this is going to be one festive weekend so I'm going to enjoy it fully and completely. Hockey will literally not be a concern that day.

If you're doing the same this week, be safe, be merry, good tidings to you and yours, and all the best if you're celebrating one of Hanukkah or Christmas! With exams coming to a close this week at universities across Canada West, here's to a very merry holiday season, and we'll see you on Boxing Day for the next dive into Canada West women's hockey!

Until then, Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!