It was a dream ending for former Yellowhead Chiefs forward Hannah Fouillard’s first university season.
Fouillard’s University of Alberta squad won the U Sports national women’s hockey championship in overtime against the McGill University Martlets in Napanee, ON. The St. Lazare product was thrilled with the opportunity to compete for a national championship as a rookie.
“Not many first years have the privilege to go to nationals and win a gold medal,” she said. “My favourite part was by far the atmosphere the rink had. The amount of support we had from back home and even at the rink, it was just great to see the fans get involved like they did.”
The St. Lazare product is certainly familiar with winning. She helped the Chiefs regional team win the 2016 Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League championship – their first ever. Fouillard, who had eight assists in 28 regular season games for the U of A, was one of several members of that team who had successful first seasons at the post-secondary level last season.
Jalyn Elmes of Brandon took her game to the NCAA Division I level at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. The defenceman recorded two goals and 10 points in 34 games.
“Jalyn Elmes was an invaluable part of our defensive corps this year,” Bulldogs assistant coach Laura Bellamy wrote in an email interview. “Most impressively, she came into UMD and the (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) and did not skip a beat, playing big-time minutes in big-time games from the start of the season.”
Dauphin’s Jessi Rampton also was a champion as she helped MacEwan University claim the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championship. During the season, Rampton, a forward, scored two goals and accumulated 10 points in 23 games for her Edmonton school.
Her sister Tess also played for the Chiefs. Tess, Jessi, and brother Jake are triplets. Jake and Tess are pursuing their post-secondary education at the University of Victoria.
Hamiota’s Emma Coulter aged out of the Chiefs program after the 2015-2016 season but, due to her birthdate, she was still a high school student last year. While going to high school, Coulter took classes so that she could play part of a season with Brandon’s Assiniboine Community College. The forward has committed to play next season for the University of Regina.
She will join former Chiefs teammate Sam Geekie in Regina. The Strathclair product recorded three goals and seven points in 26 games last season as a rookie for the U of R.
Last season Coulter played with fellow former Chief Mckenna Paddock of Rivers at ACC. Paddock was an offensive defenceman for the Cougars.
Brandon’s Emma Greenwood helped Calgary’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology make it to the ACAC finals, where it lost to Rampton’s MacEwan University. A goalie, Greenwood had a 3.20 goals against average last season.
The Yellowhead Chiefs bantam AAA female hockey team brought together its region’s top players last winter.
The squad included 19 players from four different teams. Unlike many of its opponents, who had single rostered teams, the Chiefs still played for their hometown squads – often against their Yellowhead teammates.
“The most impressive thing about this team is how they come together as a team after playing against each other on their house teams,” head coach David Barteaux wrote in an email interview.
The head coach said that his team’s strength were our size, speed, and passing.
“We coach the girls to move the puck quickly. There are no individuals on this team. It takes everyone to make us successful. Most of these girls didn't know each other before they made this team and I'm impressed how they have come together.”
Virden’s Avery Richard and Kalbry Pearson of McAuley played for the Chiefs. Barteaux stated that Richard is a tall defenceman with a great reach.
“She is working on her shot every day and makes good hard passes out of our own end,” he wrote. “She is very calm and patient with the puck. She works hard in her own end. She will be a force and a leader next year for us.”
Pearson played wing or centre for Yellowhead.
“She is aggressive and gives you 110 per cent every time she is on the ice,” Barteaux wrote. “She is determined to improve her skills no matter how hard they are for her. She wins a lot of face-offs for us at crucial points of the game.”
