Slobodzian back in Hockey Canada groove with Summer Showcase invite

Stars grad looks to earn time with national development team

Willow Slobodzian takes part in a skating session in Saskatoon.

  Willow Slobodzian will never take an invite to a Hockey Canada camp lightly.
    The 19-year-old defender, who is a graduate of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team, is one of 45 players slated to skate at the National Women’s Development Team Selection Camp, which runs Aug. 2 to 11 in Calgary, Alta.
    Athletes at this camp are playing for the chance to compete against the United States in a three-game series from Aug. 14 to 17 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

    The development team selection camp is part of Team Canada Summer Showcase that features more than 240 of Canada’s top men’s and women’s players. 
    Camp action is already underway on the men’s side.

Willow Slobodzian has played two seasons with the NCAA’s Big Red.

    Slobodzian was a member of Canada’s under-18 women’s team in the 2017-18 campaign, and she helped Canada win bronze at the under-18 women’s worlds in Dmitrov, Russia, in January of 2018.
    Last summer, she didn’t receive invites to any of Hockey Canada’s summer camps, so the Clavet, Sask., product is pumped to be going back this year.

    “I’m excited,” said Slobodzian, who stands 5-foot-7. “To say I am not a little nervous, I would be lying.

    “I wasn’t there last year, so it will fun definitely to go play with some old teammates and some teammates that I currently have. Overall, it will be a great time. I’m just really excited.”

    Slobodzian is coming off a successful sophomore campaign with the Cornell University Big Red women’s hockey team, where she appeared in all of her squad’s 36 games posting four goals, eight assists and a plus-22 rating in the plus-minus department.

Willow Slobodzian played for Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Cornell, which is located in Ithaca, N.Y., advanced to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Frozen Four women’s hockey championship tournament in Hamden, Connecticut.
    The Big Red fell 2-0 in a semifinal match to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

    Slobodzian plays on a deep defensive unit at Cornell that includes Jamie Bourbonnais and Micah Zandee-Hart, who have both skated with Canada’s senior national women’s team. Both are eligible to return for their senior years with the Big Red.

    Bourbonnais will be at national development team selection camp along with Big Red forwards Grace Graham and Kristin O’Neill, who will both be seniors next season. O’Neill has skated with Canada’s senior national team as well.

    While Slobodzian enjoys the fact she will see some familiar faces at the national development team selection camp, she is focusing on her mental game heading into that event.
    “I think what is important for me personally is just going in there believing in myself and knowing that I was invited for a reason and that I belong there,” said Slobodzian. “I’ve prepared myself all summer, and whatever happens, happens.

Willow Slobodzian played in the NCAA’s Frozen Four.

    “It is very controllable. It is up to me to see how I do. I know if I put my mind to it I can do as well as I can.”

    Slobodzian said it has helped her game playing in a Cornell team that has a deep defensive unit and is well coach. She said her hockey smarts have improved during her two seasons with the Big Red.

    “Working with Jaime (Bourbonnais) and Micah (Zandee-Hart) and all the other girls, we all push each other in practices,” said Slobodzian. “We all push each other during games as well.

    “It is just amazing. We push each other, and we are always getting better. It is great to work with them, because everyone has like high goals in mind.”

    Slobodzian will also see some familiar faces from her midget AAA days. The list of invites includes her former Stars teammates in sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley, who are both skilled forwards and regulars in Hockey Canada’s system.
    Sophie had a huge freshmen campaign helping the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team win the NCAA championship. She appeared in 41 games posting 20 goals, 18 assists and a plus-36 rating and was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference rookie of the year.

Willow Slobodzian had a memorable sophomore season with the Big Red.

    Grace captained the Stars last season. In her final midget AAA campaign, she led the Stars in scoring with 27 goals and 21 assists in 25 regular season games.

    Grace helped the Stars win their fourth Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League title in the last five years. The Stars appeared in the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament in each of those seasons.

    Slobodzian is looking forward to seeing the Shirley sisters again.

    “It will be awesome,” said Slobodzian, who helped the Stars win SFMAAAHL titles in 2015 and 2016. “It will feel like old times I think.

    “I love those girls. We have great friendships. It will make the camp that much more fun and enjoyable.

    “Being on the ice with them too, I’ll definitely enjoy it. They are great players. It is fun to play with them.”

    Brooke Hobson, who is a former captain with the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA team, rounds out the Saskatchewan representation at the national development camp. 

Willow Slobodzian in action with the Stars in 2016.

    Hobson posted six goals, 22 assists and a plus-27 rating in 38 games helping the Northeastern University Huskies women’s team advance to a quarter-final match in the NCAA championship tournament.
    The Big Red downed the Huskies 3-2 in overtime in that quarter-final encounter in Boston, Mass. Slobodzian had an assist in that encounter.

    She enjoyed her sophomore campaign with the Big Red.

    “The season was unreal,” said Slobodzian. “It was so much fun.

    “Being able to go as far as we did was an amazing experience. Throughout the whole season, our team just got better and better and came closer together. It was just a really great year overall.

    “I loved it.”

    In 2017-18, Slobodzian joined the Big Red for her freshman campaign, while she was still eligible to play a 17-year-old season in the midget AAA ranks. Slobodzian appeared in 25 games with the Big Red that season posting three goals, five assists and a plus-13 rating.

    She said she entered her second season with the Big Red with more confidence, because she felt more comfortable balancing the rigours of school as an arts and sciences major and hockey.

Willow Slobodzian, sitting, enjoys the Stars SFMAAAHL title win in 2016.

    Looking towards her junior season after Hockey Canada activities wrap up, Slobodzian believes special things can be in store for her Big Red squad.

    “Returning for my junior year, personally I want to see our team start right we ended off as a great close group and continue to move on from there and not have to take any steps backwards with the incoming freshmen and losing some seniors,” said Slobodzian, who was the Stars captain in 2016-17. “I really hope that we can just start off where we left.

    “To not go as far as we did last year would be a huge disappointment, because I know we have a very special group of girls that can do the same thing we did last year even if not more. I’m really excited. I’m hoping for the best for our team.”

Lind, Messier highlight invites to under-18 women’s camp

Taylor Lind is the SFMAAAHL’s second all-time leading scorer.

    Two of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League’s all-time bests will be featured at Hockey Canada’s National Women’s under-18 Selection Camp.

    Now graduated Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats captain Taylor Lind and now graduated Saskatoon Stars star offensive-defender Ashley Messier are among the 44 players slated skate at the under-18 camp from Aug. 2 to 11 in Calgary, Alta. The under-18 camp is part of the Team Canada Summer Showcase that is going on right now with men’s camps.

    The players at the under-18 women’s camp are competing for the chance to go up against the United States in a three-game series from Aug. 14 to 17 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

    Last season with the Wildcats, Lind topped the SFMAAAHL in scoring for the second time in three years posting 29 goals and 31 assists for 60 points appearing in all of her team’s 28 regular season games.

    The skilled centre is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL posting 93 goals and 77 assists for 170 points in 83 career regular season games.

    The Shaunavon, Sask., product is eligible to return to the Wildcats to play her 17-year-old season in the midget AAA ranks. Lind will be moving up to the NCAA ranks in the fall suiting up for the St. Cloud State University Huskies women’s hockey team in St. Cloud, Minn.

    The star forward originally committed to play for the Lindenwood University Lions women’s hockey team in St. Charles, Missouri, but after the Lions head coach was released by the team, Lind entered the transfer portal and joined St. Cloud State.

Ashley Messier was a stellar offensive-defender for the Stars.

    Messier, who is from Wilcox, Sask., had another stellar campaign playing on the Stars blue-line last season appearing in all of her team’s 28 regular season games setting new career highs in goals (five), assists (27) and points (32). For her efforts, Messier captured the SFMAAAHL’s Colleen Sostorics Top Defenceman award and helped the Stars win the SFMAAAHL title and advance to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament.

    In three campaigns with the Stars, Messier has appeared in 84 regular season games posting 11 goals and 58 assists.

    Last year, Messier went to camp with the United States under-18 women’s team and played against Canada in a three-game exhibition series.

    Messier is eligible to return for her 17-year-old season in the midget AAA ranks but will play for the Selects Girls Hockey Academy at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, N.Y., for her Grade 12 year. She has committed to play for the Cornell University Big Red women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks starting in the 2020-21 campaign.

    Rounding out the Saskatchewan invites for the under-18 camp is feisty defender Brooklyn Stevely. Stevely had a solid campaign last season for the Regina Rebels. She appeared in all of her team’s 28 regular season games collecting one goal and 15 assists.

    Stevely helped the Rebels advance to the SFMAAAHL championship series and was named a first team SFMAAAHL all-star.

    She is eligible to return to the midget AAA ranks for her 17-year-old season but has elected to play for the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy women’s prep team in Kelowna, B.C.

Bohlken, Bourassa join U Sports all-stars at Summer Showcase

Leah Bohlken had a breakout season for the Huskies.

    Two of the top players from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team will have a chance to further cement a place on Hockey Canada’s radar.

    Defender Leah Bohlken and forward Bailee Bourassa are among the 21 players who will suit up for the U Sports women’s all-star team as part of activities involving the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development team.

    The U Sports team will take part in training camp activities and take part in a series of five exhibition games from Aug. 2 to 11 in Calgary, Alta. The five exhibition games include one contest against France, two against Japan and two against Canadian national development team hopefuls.

    Last year, the U Sports squad won three out of four exhibition games including two contests against Canadian national development team hopefuls.

    Last season in her fourth year with the Huskies, Bohlken had a breakout campaign appearing in 27 regular season games posting career highs in goals (nine), assists (seven) and points (16). The Moose Jaw, Sask., product posted plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

    Bohlken was a first team Canada West all-star.

    Last March, Bohlken helped Canada’s women’s team win a silver medal at the FISU Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Canada fell in a 2-0 heartbreaker in the gold medal final to the host Russian side.

    Bourassa completed her third year with the Huskies appearing in 27 regular season games posting career highs in goals (five), assists (11) and points (16). The Weyburn, Sask., product posted a plus-one rating.

Bailee Bourassa had a career season with the Huskies.

    Before joining the Huskies, Bourassa played for her hometown Weyburn Gold Wings female midget AAA team. She scored the winning goal in the championship game to allow the Gold Wings to down the Edmonton Thunder 2-1 in the 2014 Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament in Stoney Creek, Ont.

    Also suiting up for the U Sports squad is Saskatoon product Hannah Koroll, who plays for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds women’s hockey team. Koroll, who is an alum of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA team, completed her rookie season with the Thunderbirds appearing in 28 regular season games posting two goals, five assists and a plus-one rating.

    Regina product Miranda Hatt rounds out the Saskatchewan born players on the U Sports team. Hatt finished her rookie season with the Saint Mary’s University Huskies appearing in 25 regular season games posting four goals, 14 assists and a plus-six rating.

    The U Sports squad is led by forward Alex Poznikoff of the University of Alberta Pandas. Poznikoff was named the U Sports player of the year last season and topped the Canada West Conference in scoring with 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in 27 regular season games.

    Poznikoff had a plus-34 rating and helped the Pandas win their 13^th Canada West title.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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