Cougars eager to pounce at nationals

This is what the Assiniboine College Cougars have worked for all season-long — and make no mistake, they’re ready to make every shot count.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association’s women’s Division 2 squad will depart for the national tournament in Maryland Heights, St. Louis, later this week as the No. 1 ranked team in the West Region. They’ve put there blood, sweat and tears into this season’s success, but they’re not ready to pat themselves on the back just yet.

Alexis Campbell, a 19-year-old forward in her second season with Assiniboine College, believes her team is coming in with the right mindset: that there’re plenty more work to be done.

“Going into every game, it’s a mindset,” said Campbell. “Not having the mindset that we’re better than everyone, but that we have to work just as hard as any other team there is. You don’t just walk away with a win, you gotta work for it.

“Obviously we’re gonna feel the pressure, but we just gotta play our game like we’ve been playing all season, and I think we’ll have a good result.”

Campbell and the Cougars achieved a 23-2 record this season — with their only losses coming in November on the road to the Jamestown Jimmies Division 1 team and the Sault College Cougars, who’ve won the national title three years in a row — and are riding a 19-game winning streak heading into their round-robin action in Pool C.

Assiniboine will play its first game on Sunday against Boston University, who’s ranked No. 4 in the Northeastern Division, and then on Monday, will face Central Michigan, who’s ranked No. 4 in the Central Division, before closing out tournament play against Northern Michigan, the No. 2 ranked team in the Central Division, on Tuesday.

The Cougars will need to finish first in their pool to qualify for the semifinals, where they will meet the the top seed in the A Pool, which will be one of Boston College, United States Naval Academy, University of Wisconsin, or Mercyhurst University. The other semis matchup includes the top finishers in the B and D pools.

The journey to the championship tilt is a long one, but it’s nothing the Cougars aren’t familiar with.

The last two years AC has advanced to the final, but fallen just short following 3-0 and 6-2 losses to Sault College.

Campbell is one of just six players who lived last year’s anguish, but she’s hoping to draw on that experience as she tackles a new opportunity to come out on top.

“Obviously last year, it was a bit of a heartbreak in the final there, but every day is a new day at nationals,” she said. “You just gotta do your best every day, bring your best and just forget about the last game.”

She’s preaching the one game at a time mentality to the team’s less experienced players too, as in addition to her playmaking abilities on the ice, Campbell’s also leaned into her new role this year as being an important member of the leadership group. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.

“It was pretty big shoes to fill from my vets last year,” Campbell said. “I wanted to fill their roles and it’s a lot of responsibility making sure your team doesn’t get down, and that you’re there for everyone, hyping everyone up, and just being a role model and staying positive for them, so that’s just kind of what it is this year.

“Also on the bench, just being more vocal and supporting the team. We’re just a big family, and we’re always there for each other.”

She may have had a tough act to follow from last year’s veterans, but it’s safe to say her presence has been felt, as she’s helped gel this edition of the Cougars to become arguably one of the closest team’s they’ve ever had.

It’s been an unexpected journey for Campbell, who entered open tryouts two years ago after wanting to follow in the footsteps of McCreary native Remy Buchanan, who played on the team post-COVID season. She had no idea what was going to happen, but luckily, she made the team and the rest is history.

“Walking onto this team, I had no clue what to expect,” said Campbell. “It was faster than any other hockey I’ve ever played and I was one of four rookies that came on the team last year, so I was walking onto a fully developed team, so I was pretty nervous. “I felt like the underdog, but they were all so welcoming, and everyone just wants everyone to be better, so they kind of helped get my confidence back up, and now this year, I’m one of the leaders, so I’m more confident with that as well, so that feels pretty good.”

Just as she was welcomed with open arms, Campbell’s now continued the cycle by helping this season’s rookies feel more at home, including 19-year-old Victoria Mann.

The Carievale, Sask,. native not only joined a new team, but also made the bold decision to move to a neighbouring province to get a shot at a championship. She too wasn’t exactly sure to expect off the hop, but was quickly reassured she had made the right decision.

“All the people are great,” said Mann. “It’s definitely different in the sense of being further away from home and all that stuff, but it was easy to mend in, and everything’s great.

“Everyone was new to me, but the girls were great and I think we definitely have come a long way from the start. The connection with all the girls has definitely gotten a lot closer over the season and I think we’re at the point now where we’re just looking forward to nationals and looking to do our best out there.”

The former Weyburn Gold Wings forward in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League also came into the fold at the walk-on tryout and wasn’t even sure if she would make the team due to the number of players who had already earned a spot.

But, she found a way — and now enters nationals as the fourth highest point scorer on her team with 17 goals and 35 points. The right-winger who plays alongside centre Kasey Fouillard and former Lake Region State College winger Veronica Asquith, is a fast and aggressive offensive threat who’s helped her club record a plus-123 goal differential thanks to 142 goals for and only 19 goals against.

The Cougars high-octane style of offence combined with their stifling defensive systems up and down their lineup is the identity they’ve played to all year and will continue to do come Game 1 on Sunday. They’ve been given all the recipes to success under first-year head coach Charles Tweed and now it’s just a matter of executing the game plan.

Mann, who is one of 12 rookies this year, believes her team is ready to rise to the occasion.

“There’s a lot of girls here that really want to win, and I think the effort and passion for the game from everyone really helps us bond,” Mann said. “Everyone’s on the same page of collaborating, coming together to do all the same things.

“We talk about reliability as a player, and showing up for the team. Even if it’s not your game, your other teammates are gonna show up for you, and they’re gonna get it done. We gotta be relentless, never let down, never stop until it’s finished and we want it to be a win when we’re finished.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com