The Manitoba Bison women's hockey team prepares for the 2010-11 season, after finishing another successful season by finishing as 2010 Canada West finalist, by announcing four new recruits. Bisons women's hockey head coach Jon Rempel is pleased to announce the commitment of Brigette Lacquette, Megan Vestby, Michelle Pawluk, and Maggie Litchfield-Medd to the Bison program for the upcoming season.
Lacquette, 17, is a top defenceman prospect that finished this season with the Pursuit of Excellence (Midget AAA) and follows her sister Tara who played with the Bisons during the 2009-10 season as a goaltender. The Waterhen, MB native has an impressive resume despite her young age as she has won numerous awards and accolades during her playing career. With the Westman Wildcats, she was part of the team that won the Canada\'s first ever National Midget Women's Hockey Championship in Calgary in April 2009 and was selected top defenceman at Nationals after recording four points (two goals, two assist) in six games. With Westman in the 2008-09 season, she registered 39 points (20g, 19a) with 60 penalty minutes in 31 overall games.
Brigette Lacquette has also represented Team Canada and Team Manitoba at several high-profile international and national events. The 5'6” defenceman was part of gold medal Team Canada Women's Hockey Under-18 Team and selected as the Best Defenceman at the 2010 IIHF World Women's Under-18 Championship in April 2010. She was also a member of silver medal Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team for 2009 IIHF World Hockey Championships. With Team Manitoba, Lacquette was named as a First Team All-Star for gold medal Team Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in May 2009. She won a bronze medal with Team Manitoba and named top defenceman at both the 2008 National Women's Under-18 Championship in Nov. 2008 and the 2008 Esso Cup plus named team captain of Team Manitoba's U-18 Team in 2009.
Rempel enthused, “I feel extremely fortunate to have a player like Brigette commit to playing at the University of Manitoba. She is one of the best young talents to come out of this province in recent memory and she has the potential to help take our program to the top level in Canadian university women\'s hockey. She already has extensive experience at the provincial, national and international level in women\'s hockey and is a proven winner at all of those levels. Brigette competes extremely hard, has undeniable talent on the ice and makes other players around her better. I look forward to seeing her in a Manitoba Bisons uniform for the beginning of the 2010-11 season.”
Vestby, 18, is a skilled 5'6” forward that finished this season with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. In the 2009-10 regular season, the Swan River, MB native notched 28 points (19 goals, nine assists) in 28 games and added 13 points (9g, 4a) in seven playoffs games in 2010 as the Hounds captured the 2009-10 League Championship plus winners in the Western Regionals and silver medal in the 2010 National Championship. In 2008-09 regular season, she added 13 points (8g, 5a) in 27 games with Notre Dame and seven points (2g, 5a) in nine playoffs games in 2009. Vestby has also been part of Team Manitoba at both the 2008 and 2009 National Women's Under-18 Championship and added three points in five games for fourth place Manitoba in 2009.
Rempel said, “Megan brings speed, competitiveness, and scoring to our program. She has excelled at every level she has played at and will be a very good university level player. Megan fills a need our program has as a scoring forward from the right side. Her ability to force the play with her speed up front is something that will benefit us. Our program is very excited to have a player with Megan\'s ability join us for the next five years.”
Pawluk, 17, is a 5'7” accomplished forward who finished her prep school hockey with the Balmoral Hall Blazers. She was the current Blazers captain with team-high 37 points this season and has been with Balmoral Hall since grade 10. The Petersfield, MB native was part of the Blazers being 2008-09 Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) West Division Champion and League Finalist plus 2010 JWHL Challenge Cup 'B' Finalists. She also played two playoff games with one goal with Polar Ice in the Manitoba Women's Junior Hockey League (MWJHL) in 2010. Pawluk has been part of Team Manitoba at the 2009 National Women's Under-18 Championship and added three goals (hat trick) in five games for fourth place Manitoba in 2009 and was an alternate for Team Manitoba in 2008.
“Michelle is an extremely smart player that brings a physical element to our group up front. She understands and thinks the game at a high level and her transition to the university game should be relatively seamless in that regard,” Rempel stated. “She is an excellent face-off person, has a cannon for a shot and also possesses a strong stick. She brings a winning, competitive attitude with her to our program and will be counted on to provide depth and additional scoring to our line-up. Michelle is also gifted academically.”
Litchfield-Medd, 17, is a 5'7” forward who completed her season with the APHA Rangers of the Female Midget 'AA' in the Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association (WMHA). The Rangers were 'AA' City Championship finalists for 2010 and Litchfield-Medd led the team in scoring with 26 points (16 goals, ten assists) in 19 games as the assistant captain. The Winnipeg native also captained the Oak Park Raiders to a second consecutive Winnipeg Women\'s High School Hockey League (WWHSHL) Championship in 2009-10. She was the top scorer in the division with 40 points (20g, 20a) in 20 games.
Rempel commented, “Maggie is an extremely hard worker that has the potential to develop into a very good CIS player. She can score but also possesses solid game awareness and can fill any number of roles on a team. She is a big body that plays physically and loves to compete. Her game features a lot of different facets to it and her versatility, desire and hunger will make her a good fit on the Bison program.
