Kelsey Dell earns praise from former Crocus coach Ryan Shanks

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This article was published 15/02/2024 (581 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

She might face plenty of rubber, but playing co-ed hockey has benefited Kelsey Dell, according to a former coach.

Ryan Shanks coached the Crocus Plainsmen for seven seasons after playing for the Vincent Massey Vikings. He had four goalies to choose from when he held tryouts for the 2022-23 season.

He recalled seeing the lanky five-foot-11 goaltender show up to face the boys and try to make the Crocus team which plays in the Westman High School Hockey League.

“I was impressed when I saw her in camp,” Shanks recalled of the then 15-year-old goalie. “She looked technically sound. When I chose her to play for the team I knew she’d have to make adjustments because of the quality of shots she’d face, and the speed of the puck coming at her playing with boys.”

Shanks was not disappointed despite the season experienced by the Plainsmen. Dell played the lion’s share of the games for Crocus, becoming Shanks go-to goaltender despite the losses piling up.

“As our season progressed, Kelsey’s play progressed,” he said. “After Christmas, she hit her stride, and became someone (the coaching staff) could count on.”

While it might not be a record you want to brag about, nor the statistics, Shanks believe Dell benefited from the pounding she received from opposing forwards attacking the Crocus net.

Dell finished the season with a 3-27-0-1 record, 5.76 goals-against-average (GAA) and .842 save percentage. What’s more impressive is her shot count — in 31 games she saw the puck 1,537 times, while giving up 243 goals.

Compared to this season, now 16-year-old Dell has still be been busy in her sophomore season, but not to the extent of her rookie campaign. In 16 games, she’s faced 533 shots and allowed 65 goals. She has a 5-8-2 record for the 11th-place Plainsmen, with a 4.45 GAA and .878 save percentage.

Playing for a high school co-ed team does not attract university scouts, especially when the Grade 11 student was looking to combine her education with hockey after graduating in June 2025.

“I understand the process with a daughter who got a golf scholarship to the U.S.,” said Shanks. “When you’re playing with males there are no scouts in the arena where you can be showcased (for a girls team).”

Shanks had conversations with Dell’s parents on how best to showcase her goaltending skills by taking video at games and sending it to prospective university coaches. A Missouri university with a nursing and hockey program in St. Louis liked what they saw, and invited Dell to spend a week on campus in early January.

“Kelsey had plenty of family support and has put the work in to get the word out about her goaltending,” he said of the Maryville Saints signing her for the 2025-26 season. “Her parents helped her make her dream happen.”

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