Girls ride sport to scholarships
Jessica Healey has some advice for scouts in search of talented female hockey players.
They should make it a point to take in the Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament, suggests the 17-year-old captain of the defending female division champion Edmonton Thunder.
This year, the female division at the Mac’s tournament is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
“Lots of scouts should come and watch,” said Healey, who’s competing at the Mac’s for the third straight year with the Thunder. “It’s great hockey. It’s a great place to get exposed, I think.”
Having already accepted a college scholarship, Healey said she expects many of her teammates to follow her skate blades.
“The younger ones, this is good for them,” said Healey, who will attend the University of MinnesotaDuluth and play for the Bulldogs starting next fall. “I just really liked the coaches and the rink and the campus. It just felt right.”
While Healey decided to go the NCAA route, her good friend, Tasmine Hemmingway, of the Peace Country Storm, opted to attend the University of Manitoba to play for the Bisons.
“I wanted to stay in Canada just because it’s closer to home,” said Hemingway, who’s also 17. “I’m glad that I get to go play hockey with school. It’ll be fun. I’m excited.”
After attending the Warner Hockey Academy for the past two years, Brittney Sawyer decided to play her last year of Midget AAA hockey with the Calgary Bruins.
“I just wanted to come home and play with my friends for my last year of hockey and really make it a good year,” said Sawyer, 17, who will attend the University of Lethbridge and play for the Pronghorns next year.
Sawyer said she likes how events like the Mac’s tournament allow her friends and teammates to make an impression on scouts watching from the stands.
“All these girls have a chance out there,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Wilson of the Fraser Valley Phantom hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll stay in Canada to go to school or head south of the border to the United States.
“I’m still keeping my options open,” said the 17-year-old forward.
Like most of her peers growing up in Canada, Wilson has aspirations of attracting the attention of Hockey Canada scouts with her performance.
“I think it’s almost every girl’s dream to go play for Team Canada,” she said. “That would be awesome. I’m just working hard every day to try to get there and see what comes out of it.”
Healey said she definitely looks up to players like forward Hayley Wickenheiser, defender Meaghan Mikkelson and goalie Shannon Szabados, who all cracked the Canadian women’s roster for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
“They’re great and I look up to them,” Healey said. “It’s definitely my goal to get there one day. I think it’s every girl’s goal or should be.”
She’s a seper star
Gabrielle Seper had a goal and an assist to lead the Highwood Raiders to a 3-1 win over the Melville Prairie Fire on Monday at the Max Bell Centre.
Paige Russell and Tamala Whiteside also scored for the Raiders, who finished atop Pool 1 of the female division with a perfect 4-0 record.
“We talk about Raiders hockey, which is a lot of pressure on the puck (and) a lot of determination when you’re in battles,” said Highwood coach Jason Seper. “These last four games, we’ve gotten back to the Raiders hockey that we played at the beginning of the year, which is nice as a coaching staff to see that.”
Next up, the Raiders are slated to play the Westman Wildcats (3-0-1) in the first of two semifinals Tuesday at Max Bell (1 p.m.).
“If we buy into the systems and we play like we can and everyone’s ready, then no one can stop us,” said Highwood assistant captain Hannah Olenyk, who was named her team’s player of the game against Melville.