Were you aware that SFU has a women’s hockey team? You’re forgiven if you didn’t know, as they are a young program, only in their fifth year of existence. In fact, the team is still considered a club, rather than a varsity program, and as such, they don’t receive the same amount of attention and support as many of SFU’s teams.
“With varsity, you would have [the] support [of a] financial budget to work with. As a club, it’s all student funded and student operated; it’s real grassroots level, and these girls have done a fantastic job of doing most of the work as well as their schooling,” said head coach Grant Wallace.
“The men’s team is on the ice four or five times a week, and some [practices] are in the day,” explained Wallace. His team’s practices, however, are outside of school hours.
“The players do not get as much leeway in terms of school, so it’s harder to juggle,” said forward Caitlin McNamara. She explained that the team does a lot of fundraising to make up for the lack of financial support, alluding to future pub nights and collaborations with the men’s hockey team.
Despite the program’s youth and relative anonymity, the women’s hockey team has already met with success. Last year, they finished fifth in the South Coast Female Amateur Hockey League (SCFAHL) with 17 points in 26 games, making the playoffs. This a tremendous rise from their humble beginnings, as during their first season, they could only ice seven skaters.
There is still, of course, room to improve. Coach Wallace explained that one of their goals this season is to “do better in the regular season and take it into the playoffs.”
McNamara, who had four goals and seven points last season, said the aim is to “score a few more goals and have more goals for [rather than against].” Last year the team averaged just 1.4 goals per game. Coach Wallace echoed these sentiments, and added that he would like to improve his players’ skills, so they “have the finish when they have [goal scoring] opportunities.”
This season, there are some new and familiar faces that should help ease the team’s goal scoring woes. One of these is rookie Michelle Toor. “She came to us from the Fraser Valley Phantom, and I expect her to add some assists and some scoring chances from the point,” said Coach Wallace. Her sister, forward Chanel Toor, will rejoin the team as well, and coach Wallace has “high hopes” for her to create some offence for the team.
Forward Shay Gronnemose is an exciting new addition, and the coaching staff expects her to adjust quite rapidly and start generating offence. Last season’s point leader, with 12 goals and 17 points, Katrina Armstrong will also return, along with Caitlin McNamara and Michela Deluca, who had great chemistry on a line with Sam Schiiler. Unfortunately, Schiiler will be out until the end of October.
The women also have aspirations off of the ice, says McNamara, explaining that they want to try to “take female hockey [at SFU] to the next level.” She elaborates, “We’re at the highest level you can play at [here], but compared to other provinces, we’re just not quite there.”
As part of their plans to take the team to new heights, both on and off the ice, the team would also like to get a second set of jerseys.
For now, though, after one week of play, SFU sits in third place with a 2-1 victory over the Richmond Devils, and a 2-2 tie against the BC Thunder. Their next game is against the Meadow Ridge Moose at the North Surrey Rec Centre on Friday, October 17 at 9:45 p.m.
