By: Dwayne Tingley
St. Thomas Tommies head coach Peter Murphy expects to take a few minutes to reflect on the magic of the moment when his team raises its championship banner on Oct. 5 at the Grant-Harvey Centre in Fredericton.
The Tommies captured their first ever AUS women's hockey conference title last spring and it will always occupy a special place in their hearts, but Murphy doesn't want to dwell on it too long.
"The bottom line," said the veteran coach, "is that none of the goals we scored last year are going to help us this year. It's a new season and time to move on."
The Tommies, who finished in first place with a 22-5-1 record last year, open their 2019-20 regular season on Friday, Oct. 4, when they visit Moncton Aigles Bleues.
"We've had quite a turnover in players from last year, but we've got a real good looking group of rookies coming in," said Murphy, who is beginning his 18th season at the helm of the Tommies.
"Our veterans are strong leaders so that will help our team in the transition," he continued. "It will take the young players some time to adjust to this level, but they look like they're going to make the adjustments that are necessary.
"When you make a climb to this next level as a player, you notice how little time and space you have on the ice. Work hard, make the changes you have to make and believe in the team's systems that are in place."
Murphy expects the Tommies to "have a target" on their backs this season as they look to repeat.
"Every team played us hard last year when we were in first place so it will be even more intense this year as the defending champions," he said. "It's a tough conference and the competition will make us better as a team."
Key returnees are: forwards Emily Oleksuk, a fifth-year captain who led U SPORTS in assists last year, Lauren Legault, and Paige Jackson and defenceman Alex Woods.
"I like our whole lineup, but I think you're going to see that every team in our conference has improved so we'll have to work hard for every point we get this year," Murphy said.
The Tommies will host the rival UNB Reds Saturday, Oct. 5 for their home opener.
Meanwhile, the Aigles Bleues have 15 returning players from last year's team, which finished with a 13-15-2 record. Six rookies have cracked the roster.
Head coach Marc-André Côté is challenging his players to "get better every day and trust the process."
"Our game will mean we have to play fast and be responsible without the puck," he said.
Key returnees with the Aigles Bleues are: goaltender Audrey Berthiaume, defencemen Chantal Beauchamp and Jennifer Arsenault and forwards Katherine Dubuc and Sarah-Ève Mailhot.
AUS conference play begins Wednesday, Oct. 2, when the Saint Mary's Huskies (18-9-1) visit the Dalhousie Tigers (10-16-2) in Halifax.
The Huskies have 20 returning players and just four rookies. They are looking to play their best hockey in late February and March in order to win an AUS title.
"We like the way the girls are coming together early and we like our depth at every position," said head coach Christopher Larade.
Key returnees are: forwards Miranda Hatt, Shae Demale and Brooke Murphy, defenceman Kiana Wilkinson and goaltender Rebecca Clark.
"We have been a sound defensive team with good numbers for a while now," Larade said. "I would like to see us up the offence and power play a little bit if we are to be successful."
Tigers head coach Sean Fraser expects his team to show significant improvement this season.
"We're going to see more wins," he said. "In training camp, I have seen a great work ethic and a team-first attitude. With that kind of mindset, we've got the kind of team that can really make some noise this year. I like our approach to this season."
Key returnees are: fourth-year goaltender Fabiana Petricca, defencemen Natalie Stanwood and Lauren Ellerton and forwards Tara Morning and Brooklyn Paisley.
"We just missed the playoffs last year and we'll be looking for that to change and, if we stick to our team-first policy, we can finish in the top three," Fraser said.
In other games on Friday, Oct. 4, the StFX X-Women (18-9-1) visit the Mount Allison Mounties (4-23-1) in Sackville and the UNB Reds (13-11-4) host the UPEI Panthers (14-13-1) in Fredericton.
The X-Women have 19 players back from last year, when they were edged 2-1 by the Tommies in the conference final. Only three rookies are on the roster.
Head coach Ben Berthiaume said the X-Women have had strong teams in recent years, but are tired of just falling short in the playoffs.
"I think we have a bitter taste in our mouth from those experiences, which is helping to motivate us," stated Berthiaume, who is entering his fourth season as head coach and 17th season overall.
"We have to use our speed to our advantage, getting on the forecheck, and we have to play well defensively. The league has a lot of great scorers to be aware off."
Key returnees are: defenceman Lindsey Donovan and forwards Lydia Schurman and Tyra Meropoulis.
The Mounties are looking for a playoff berth and to continue the positive momentum they gained down the stretch last season. They have 15 returning players and nine rookies.
Head coach Terry Rhindress said the Mounties will have more size and skill in their lineup this year.
"The key to our team's success will be to compete every night and clean up small details of our game," Rhindress said. "We will need to have 20 players going in the same direction to help our younger players make the adjustments that are necessary at this level.
"I would think that our league will be very competitive this year and on any given night teams could beat each other."
Key members of the Mounties are: goaltender Katie Mowbray, defencemen Rhi Ford, Emma Rae Murphy and Abbie Wisener and forwards Maddy Koughan, Abby Beale and Lauren Shaw.
The UNB Reds will have 19 veterans from last year's team, which made its return to AUS action last season with a 13-11-4 record.
"We need to utilize our speed and creativity in order to have success this year," said head coach Sarah Hilworth. "We want to encourage our team to shoot the puck more this year. We need to average more goals and a better power play to move up the conference ranks."
Hilworth said the Reds still have a lot room for improvement, but she's confident the team can have a strong season and earn a spot in the playoffs.
Key returnees include: goaltender Kendra Woodland (who was named AUS rookie of the year and a conference all-star last season), defencemen Jenna MacLean, Emma Borbandy and forward Tamina Kehler.
The Panthers (14-13-1) are preparing to host the 2020 U SPORTS national championship March 12-19 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The UPEI squad has 19 returning players, including captain Rachel Colle and goaltender Camille Scherger.
"Our team success depends on a few key areas—specialty team play, taking better advantage of our scoring opportunities and reducing the amount of penalties per game by one or two," said Panthers head coach Bruce Donaldson.
"The competitiveness and parity within the AUS conference will continue this year. No one team can take a night off and expect to be rewarded. It makes for some great hockey, which is amazing."