The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

With a beleaguered Brampton Thunder squad facing a season with the loss of its biggest leaders to Sochi, Ashley Pendleton’s CWHL comeback could not have come at a better time. Having played with the Vaughan Flames during the CWHL’s inaugural 2007-08 season, Pendleton would soon become a mainstay on Brampton’s defense. She was on the ice for the historic 2010 Clarkson Cup, in which Brampton appeared in the finals for the first time. Despite losing to the Minnesota Whitecaps, the first American team to win the Clarkson, it was a unique chapter in hockey history that Pendleton was a part of. Having taken a sabbatical from hockey, Pendleton attended Ontario Fire College in 2012. Of note, she is not the only female hockey player to pursue studies as a fire fighter. Amber Bowman, a former competitor with the Burlington Barracudas and Toronto Furies, is a current fire fighter with Central York Fire Services in York Region, Ontario. While Bowman would eventually become a world c

A November 23 tilt with the Brampton Thunder was more than just another chapter in The Battle of Toronto. It would mark the first pair of goals that free agent pickup Carolyne Prevost would log with the Toronto Furies. Having found her scoring touch in the 4-2 win over the Thunder, it should foreshadow many more sterling scoring performances this season. After Tara French scored on the power play in the first period, the Furies faced a 1-0 deficit after one period of play. Less than 38 seconds into the second period, Prevost would change the momentum of the game with her first goal as a Furies competitor. A power play marker tied the score, with assists going to Furies captain Kori Cheverie and second-overall 2013 CWHL Draft pick Katie Wilson. Of note, it was Wilson’s first career CWHL point.  The 8:11 mark of the second would find Prevost providing the blue and white with their first lead of the game. Michelle Bonello (who is making her CWHL comeback) earned the assist on

The Ontario Women’s Hockey Association was proudly represented at the 2013 Canadian Under-18 Nationals. Contested in Alberta, Rink A of the Marion MacPhail Centre found Team Ontario Red facing off against Team Ontario Blue in the gold medal game. Adding a touch of irony to the game was the invovelment of the coaches. Bradi Cochrane was part of Team Ontario Blue’s coaching staff at the 2012 U18 Nats. An underdog at the event, Cochrane and Team Blue would take home the gold medal. Kim McCullough, the founder of Total Female Hockey served with Dave Gwyn and Shaun Reagan with Team Ontario Red in 2012. Favored to win the event, Team Red would garner a bronze medal. This year, Cochrane was the head coach of Team Ontario Red while McCullough served as head coach of Team Ontario Blue. Two of the rising stars in the coaching ranks, the gold medal game was their coming out party. In the first period, Team Red came out strong as they outshot Team Blue by an astounding 16-5 margin. Go

While women like Digit Murphy and Katey Stone have carved remarkable legacies as coaches in NCAA women’s hockey, Shannon Miller reached a new milestone in autumn 2013 with the 350th win of her storied career as head coach of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. In becoming the third coach in NCAA history to reach the plateau, her ability to recruit, motivate and surround herself with quality people is testament to her great legacy. A 6-1 win over the rebuilding Connecticut Huskies supplied Miller with the historic triumph as a pair of power play goals by Jamie Kenyon set the tone early in the game. At 14:53 in the first, Ashleigh Brykaliuk would extend UMD’s lead to a 3-0 tally. Before the period would expire, Sarah MacDonnell would put the Huskies on the scoreboard. Only one goal would be scored in the second period but it was a historic one. At the 10:28 mark of the second, Alivia Del Basso would log her first career NCAA goal, making her the first player from Australia to score a

While Geraldine Heaney has reached the pinnacle of hockey with a well-deserved spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, there is so much more to her than a distinguished playing career. As the third woman inducted into the HHOF, fans and media alike have showered her with praise over her legendary goal at the landmark IIHF Women’s Worlds in 1990. Heaney is part of a generation of women’s hockey pioneers that are contributing to the game in roles of mentors and leaders. Many of the women that Heaney competed with at the 1998 and 2002 Winter Games are doing just that. With the IIHF Ambassador and Mentor Program (AMP), former teammates such as France St. Louis, Fiona Smith, Jennifer Botterill and Therese Brisson are helping to build the sport with developing nations in the sport. With a young family, Heaney is helping to build the game at the grassroots level. She spent a handful of seasons as the head coach with the Waterloo Warriors of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Currently, she i

As the sport of women’s hockey continues to experience unprecedented growth and foundations are set in place for a strong future, a key element will be the quality of coaching. Bradi Cochrane is not only a top quality coach but is one of the true rising stars in the game of women’s hockey. While remarkable women such as Shannon Miller, Digit Murphy and Melody Davidson helped establish a presence of quality female coaching in hockey, a new generation of stars is helping to carry on their work. Coaches such as Cochrane and Kim McCullough (head coach of Team Ontario Blue in 2013) are part of this new group of female coaches building on their legacy. Currently serving as the head coach of the Oakville Hornets in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League, quite possibly the most talented junior girls hockey league in North America, she has helped develop many of her players into competitors for the Ontario U18 teams (Red and Blue), Canada U18 national squad and post-secondary leagues su

In anticipation of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, the 2013 Four Nations Cup was meant to be an indicator of how the nations of Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States were prepared. Traditionally, the gold medal game is another chapter in the eternal rivalry between Canada and the US. Oddly, the United States would not qualify for its typical spot in the final. Instead, Canada found itself competing an upstart squad from Finland. While first period goals from Jenelle Kohanchuk, Vicki Bendus, Jennifer Wakefield and Brianne Jenner would provide Canada with a 4-1 lead, putting the game out of reach,  the contest was not without its surprises. While Finland would manage another two goals in the game, both were scored on power play opportunities. With less than three minutes remaining in the second stanza, Bailey Bram was serving her second slashing penalty of the game. In the third, she would be penalized for delay of game. Anna Kilponen would bury the puck past Charline Lab

With parity being the theme of the 2013-14 CWHL season, the Toronto Furies and Calgary Inferno are looking to reach unprecedented heights. Of note, the Furies are looking to return to their first Clarkson Cup final since 2011 while the Inferno are looking for their first postseason berth. Riding strong momentum courtesy of NHL sponsorship, the November 9 tilt at the MasterCard Centre showed some of the most promising stars gracing the frozen perimeter. It would only take 80 seconds for the first goal to be scored. Alyssa Baldin, the only 2013 CWHL Draft Pick to have played in both NCAA Division I and CIS hockey would open the scoring with an unassisted marker. While the goal represented a significant milestone in her career as it was her first in CWHL play, there were two other factors that made it more special. Considering it was scored in  her CWHL debut, Baldin’s goal would also signify the first scored of the season by any Furies player. A power play opportunity would not

As one of the most visceral rivalries in CIS women’s hockey, the Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees renewed their rivalry in a November 9 tussle. The most exceptional element of the game was that it featured the Gee-Gees’ Pink at the Rink effort. With several members of the Gee-Gees volunteering in charitable efforts in the community, the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser for breast cancer represented a great point of pride. Part of the philosophy of head coach Yanick Evola is to emphasize the importance that being a Gee-Gee involves being part of the community. Boasting an undefeated home record against the Ravens this season, the Pink at the Rink event helped to outline the defensive wizardry of Victoria Germuska. Having emerged as a key component of the defensive game, she has also incorporated an element of offense as the Gee-Gees are one of the top teams in the QSSF. Ravens goaltender Eri Kiribuchi was a key factor in the contest remaining scoreless after