The Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team is pleased to announce the team captains for the 2014-15 season. The team will have a young team with a veteran presence. Forward Maggie Litchfield-Medd wears the 'C' for the first time as a Bison while defenceman Michelle Pawluk dons the 'A' for the first time plus defenceman Lindsay Blight and forward Kayleigh Wiens named as rotating alternate captains.
"Both Maggie and Michelle are fifth year players who bring leadership and experience to a young team. Both have led on and off the ice throughout the years and bring attitude, work ethic and compliment each other," commented Bison women's hockey head coach Jon Rempel, in his 11th season at the helm.
Litchfield-Medd, 22, is in her fifth year and second season as captain after being an alternate in 2013-14 with the Bisons. The 5'7" forward was tied for tenth in Canada West scoring after his best point single season total so far with the Herd with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) and +5 plus/minus rating while playing in all 28 conference regular season games and two playoff matches. In four seasons at Manitoba, the Winnipeg native has accumulated 61 points (28g, 33a) in 101 conference regular season games.
Pawluk, 22, is a first time captain in her fifth year at Manitoba. The 5'7" defenceman accumulated nine points (3g, 6a), good for second in team defenceman scoring and tied for ninth in conference defenceman scoring in 27 conference regular season games in 2013-14. The Teulon, MB native also registered a +9 plus/minus rating, third highest on the squad. In four seasons at Manitoba, Pawluk has scored 27 points (11g, 16a) in 99 conference regular season games.
Blight, 21, wears the 'A' for the first time with the Bisons in her fourth year. The 5'6" blueliner played in 21 Canada West regular season games with one assist and +3 plus/minus rating in 2013-14. In three seasons at Manitoba, the Portage la Prairie, MB native has played in 70 conference regular season games with one goal and four assists.
Wiens, 21, dons the 'A' for the first time with the Bisons in her fourth year. The 5'5" forward notched nine points (4g, 3a) while playing in all 28 Canada West regular season in 2013-14. In three seasons at Manitoba, the Winkler, MB native has played in 76 conference regular season games and produced seven goals and six assists.
Bison hockey notes: The Bison women's hockey team begin their 2014-15 Canada West regular season on the road against the Regina Cougars on Oct. 3-4 weekend.
For more information, contact Women's Hockey Head Coach Jon Rempel at 204-474-7274.
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2014-15 Bison Women's Hockey Canada West Preview
General Info
Team: Manitoba Bisons
?Conference: Canada West
Name of Arena: Wayne Fleming
Head coach: Jon Rempel/11th year
Quick Facts
2014-15 Canada West Pre-season Rank: #6
2013-14 Canada West Standings finish: 17-7-4 (38 points), 4th place
2014 Canada West Playoff: Qualified for playoffs – 0-2 record, In Canada West Quarter-Final: Lost 2-0 vs. Regina at home (best-of-three series)
2014 CIS Nationals Placing: Did not qualify
Last Canada West Title: 2010-11 season (also won in 2008-09)
Last CIS Title: none
Key returnees: Maggie Litchfield-Medd, Michelle Pawluk, Caitlyn Fyten, Alana Serhan, Lindsay Blight, Kayleigh Wiens, Cassandra Taylor, Rachel Dyck, Amanda Schubert
Key additions: Lauryn Keen, Alana Sharman, Courtlyn Oswald, Erica Rieder, Megan Tully
Key departures: Amy Lee, Caitlin MacDonald, Kyleigh Palmer, Rachèle Bosc
2014-15 Preview: The Bison women's hockey program is in a new cycle as there will be ten rookies on the 25 person roster to start the 2014-15 Canada West season. In addition, there are also seven sophomore players in the lineup, making this one of the youngest women's hockey squads in the conference, if not in the country.
Head coach Jon Rempel, in his 11th season, knows the new players have the ability to compete but the test will be 'how fast we can understand and compete at this level in a constant manner'. The team had a solid training camp and pre-season. He likes the mix of veterans with the newcomers and feels numerous players have a chance to shine this upcoming campaign.
New team captains in forward Maggie Litchfield-Medd and defenceman Michelle Pawluk lead Manitoba. Both return in their fifth year as Medd was tied for tenth in Canada West scoring last year while Pawluk had her best offensive output while playing against top lines throughout the season. Other Bison vets include defenceman Caitlyn Fyten who was named to both CIS and Canada West All-Rookie Team in 2013-14 plus both sophomore goalies in Rachel Dyck and Amanda Schubert. New alternate captains are fourth year defenceman Lindsay Blight and Kayleigh Wiens while second year Alana Sharman looks to build off a rookie season where she was fifth in team scoring and forwards Cassandra Taylor and Charity Price have another year of experience.
The rookie group will be leaned upon as they will be thrust into big minutes and play at crucial points during the season. The recruiting class is led by Lauryn Keen, 18, is a 5'9" forward who was team captain for the defending MFMHL (Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League) champion and 2012 Esso Cup National Champion Pembina Valley Hawks. Alanna Sharman, 18, is a 5'8" forward that played for the Winnipeg Avros and led the team in scoring in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Courtlyn Oswald, 18, is a 5'5" forward that played for the MFMHL's Central Plains Capitals and was team captain for the last two seasons. Oswald is known as one of the top defensive forwards in the MFMHL and has also contributed better than a point per game. Erica Rieder, 17, is a 5'9" defenceman with the Regina Rebels of the Saskatchewan Female Midget Hockey League (SFMHL) that were semi-finalist in 2013-14 and won the SFMHL championship and then advanced to the Esso Cup in 2012-13. Megan Tully, 18, is a 5'10" defenceman finished playing for the MFMHL's Central Plains Capitals and was the team alternate captain in the 2012-13 season and finished at Shaftesbury HS in 2013-14. All these players have some provincial or national team experience and have been on winning teams in the past.
The goal of the young Bison team will be to host a playoff round in the highly competitive Canada West conference. Rempel believes the strengths of the team are on the blueline and in the nets as they will have a balanced attack. He commented, "I can't expect the new players to know everything as there is a learning curve. The newcomers bring already experience and have achieved a lot and they are not scared to compete. The vibe is positive among this year's edition and the outlook looks strong now and in the future."
