By Kristi Patton /
For the first time in 10 seasons, the University of Alberta Pandas are looking to not have a repeat of last year.
Since 1998, the Pandas have successfully brought home a CIS women’s hockey championship medal but a bump in the road, named consistency, knocked them off their regular track. Under their head coach, Howie Draper, the Panda’s have won six gold medals and two silver on the national stage.
Shrugging off their 4-2 loss to the Manitoba Bisons in the bronze medal game in Ottawa ending their season on a sour note, the Pandas are ready to start fresh.
After losing three players, including veteran defenceman Kathleen Keen and Alana Donahue, the Pandas have added rookie strength to their team including power forward Jenn Jubb. The Red Deer-native is moving from the Alberta College Athletics Conference, where she led in points last year, to the CIS. Jubb is also a graduate of the Under-18 Team Alberta.
“Jenn is the consummate power forward. She is extremely effective in getting the puck to the net and burying chances when they are presented,” said Pandas head coach Draper. “We hope to increase our team speed somewhat this season and Jenn is a key component in making this goal a reality.”
Sarah Hilworth is another new addition to this year’s Panda’s that is bringing a wealth of experience. The 5-7 forward was a member of the Pacific Steelers, an elite women’s hockey program based in Richmond, B.C. that won the 2007/08 B.C. provincials.
“Sarah is the kind of player that lives and breathes the game. She is a passionate competitor, has a keen sense of the game and has the ability to finish. She’s a very intelligent playmaker and I’m confident that she will grow.
Returning to the Pandas are key players Andrea Boras and Leah Copeland. The trio helped the Pandas win first place in Canada West and the Conference Crown and were invited to play with the defending champion Canadian U-22 team along with new Panda recruit Stephanie Ramsay.
Boras, a second-year defenceman for the Pandas, finished first in Conference blue line scoring in her rookie season while Copeland tied for third in Canada West scoring.
This is the second year of a two-year partnership between Hockey Canada and the CIS. The CIS will send a national team of Canadian university women’s hockey players to the 2009 Winter Universiade in Harbin, China, marking the first time that women’s hockey is part of the World University Games. |