Mathematically, at least, every one of the eight participating teams in this week’s U Sports Green for Life national women’s hockey championship tournament has the exact same one-in-eight (12.5 per cent) chance of winning it all.
Published Mar 13, 2024 • Last updated Mar 14, 2024 • 5 minute read
Throw out the statistics.
Forget about analytics just for a moment.
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Mathematically, at least, every one of the eight participating teams in this week’s U Sports Green for Life national women’s hockey championship tournament has the exact same one-in-eight (12.5 per cent) chance of winning it all.
That’s the way you have to approach it, says Steve Kook, head coach of the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
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“Yeah, we’ve been to these things before and, like my buddy from Mount Royal texted me on Monday, when the seedings came out, he said, ‘hey, being seeded 8 is a good place to start!’ Of course, they won (the U Sports women’s hockey championship) last year as the eighth seed.
“You’ve got to win the first game. It doesn’t matter where you’re seeded. You’ve got to win the first game and then you’re in the medal round.”
Kook points to Laval in U Sports men’s basketball.
“You look at Laval. They hosted. Seeded 8. They won the whole darn thing.”
Action begins Thursday afternoon (1 p.m.) with the No. 5 St. Francis Xavier X-Women playing the No. 4 University of Waterloo Warriors. On Thursday night, No. 8 host Saskatchewan welcomes the No. 1 Concordia Stingers.
In other quarter-final action, the No. 7 Montreal Carabins take on the No. 2 University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at 1 p.m. Friday, followed by the No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues meeting the No. 3 New Brunswick Varsity Reds at 7 p.m. Friday night.
All games are being played at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.
“This,” noted Kook, “is a perfect spot to host a national championship. For us, we’re just excited to host the country and show off this building.”
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Six of the eight teams are back from the 2023 U Sports national championship tournament in Montreal, including the Concordia Stingers, who lost the 2023 final to Mount Royal in overtime, as well as the 2023 host Carabins, UBC, St. FX, UNB and Toronto.
Here’s a quick capsule look at the eight participating teams, in order of their respective tournament seeding:
(1) Concordia Stingers
Regular season: 25-0-0
Post-season: 4-2
Head coach: Julie Chu
RSEQ Quebec conference titles: 10
National titles: 3
Top scorer: Emile Lussier (18-16—34)
Goalie: Ariane Leblanc (12-0 record)
The Stingers finished with a “perfect” 25-0 record during the regular season but coach Chu takes that record with a grain of salt.
“When I hear ‘perfect.’ That’s a tough word,” she said. “We’re beyond from being perfect. … Like everybody else here, we’re building off everything we’ve accomplished in the past.”
Concordia last won the national title in 2022 but came up short in the final a year ago, settling for the silver medal in 2023.
Chu says they entered this season wanting to “make sure we’re not stuck in last year and make sure we’re not stuck in previous years.”
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(2) UBC Thunderbirds
Regular season: 24-1-3
Playoffs: 3-2
Head coach; Graham Thomas
Canada West conference titles: 6
National titles: 0
Top scorer: Mackenzie Kordic (15-20—35)
Goaltender: Elise Hugens (16-3 record)
Sask. roots: Kailee Peppler D (Saskatoon) and Joelle Fiala F (Clavet)
UBC was crowned Canada West champions after defeating the reigning U Sports national champion Mount Royal Cougars in the final.
The T-Birds are chasing their first-ever national women’s hockey title
“It’s a tough trophy to win,” said coach Thomas. “We want to learn from the past, stay loose, play our game and stick to the process. We’re excited. It’s an amazing week of hockey.”
(3) New Brunswick Varsity Reds
Regular season: 21-6-1
Playoffs: 5-1
Interim head coach; Kyle MacDonald
AUS conference titles: 2
U Sport national titles: 0
Top scorer: Lillian George (18-18—36)
Goalie: Kendra Woodland (11-5 record)
Sask. roots; Bailey McMaster F (Regina)
MacDonald is interim coach, filling in for Sarah Hilworth.
He says the team has “been great” in handling the transition between different head coaches this season.
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(4) Waterloo Warriors
Regular season: 15-7-3-3
Playoffs: 5-1
Head coach: Shaun Reagan
Conference titles: 1
U Sports national titles: 0
Top scorer: Leah Herrfort (14-13—27)
Goalie: Mikayla Schnarr (9-8)
Waterloo will be hosting the 2025 national championship tournament.
“So it was important for us to get a spot in the tournament this year,” noted Reagan.
“It’s our first time here. It’s our first go at it.”
Reagan says the team is a “veteran group” which has won a lot the last couple of years.
(5) St. Francis Xavier X-Women
Regular season: 21-5-2
Playoffs: 3-4
Head coach: Ben Berthiaume
AUS conference titles: 11
National titles: None
Top Scorer: Maggy Burbidge (14-14—28)
Goalie: Amaya Giraudier (13-4)
Sask. roots: Amaya Giraudier G (Assiniboia)
“We’re pretty quick,” coach Berthiaume says.
And with 12 new players, “we’re a pretty young team.”
Still, St. FX features a number of players who competed in nationals last year and a team that’s battled through a lot of injuries this season.
“We’re a group that’s pretty resilient.”
(6) Toronto Varsity Blues
Regular season: 17-8-2-1
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Playoffs: 4-3
Head coach; Vicky Sunohara
Conference titles: 0
National titles: 1
Top scorer: Taylor Trussier (10-13—23)
Goalie: Erica Fryer (18-8)
“Just very, very exciting for our team to be here,” said Sunohara.
“One through eight, it’s a battle. Every game is a challenge.”
The Varsity Blues are hoping to build off last year’s nationals experience and take one game at a time.
(7) Montreal Carabins
Regular season: 13-10-2
Playoffs; 3-3
Head coach: Isabelle Leclaire
Quebec conference titles: 4
National titles; 2
Top scorer: Marie Terriault (7-11—18)
Goalie: Aube Racine (9-9 record)
Leclaire describes her team as being “very responsible defensively” that “spends a lot of attention to detail.”
The Carabins, she adds, “work hard” and “play with heart.”
(8) Saskatchewan Huskies
Regular season: 19-7-2
Playoffs; 1-2
Head coach: Steve Kook
Conference titles: 1
National titles: 0
Top scorer: Sophie Lalor (12-10—22)
Goalie; Camryn Drever (15-6 record)
Sask, roots: Kendra Zuchotzki D (Dorintosh), Jasper Desmarais F (Saskatoon), Brooklyn Stevely F (Regina), Kalli Hebert D (Saskatoon), Sara Kendall F (Ponteix), Taylor Wilkinson F (Lloydminster), Kate Ball F (Saskatoon), Shelby Williamson D (Weyburn), Paris Oleksyn F (Saskatoon), Emma Backman G (Saskatoon)
The host Huskies return to action after an early exit from the Canada West playoffs.
“It didn’t work out the way we planned but it’s what we’ve got to deal with,” said Kook.
“Looking across the (table of seated coaches), you see the firepower that’s here this week … We’re rested and uninjured and, at this time of the year, that’s a bonus.”
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