SIX NEW PLAYERS COMMIT TO LIONS
The York University Lions women’s hockey team will have an infusion of new talent for the upcoming season as six players have committed to play for the Lions in 2010-11.
Erin Cameron, Jessalyn Bogacki, Stephanie Dovaston and Megan Finlay come to York from the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Lindsay Brook is from the Saskatchewan Female Midget Hockey League (SFMHL) and Kiri Langford last played in the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League (LLFHL).
Cameron is a skilled and speedy five-foot-four forward from Ajax, Ont. She is a great addition to the team’s forecheck and will chip in on the scoreboard. Last year with the Markham-Stouffville Stars, she contributed 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 34 games.
A five-foot-five goaltender from Thunder Bay, Ont., Bogacki is extremely competitive and has tremendous potential. With the Mississauga Chiefs this past season she posted a .908 save percentage and 1.82 goals against average in 12 games and was even better in the playoffs, recording a .932 save percentage and a 1.34 goals against average. She was stellar in the PWHL final, ultimately losing a 2-1 nailbiter to the Toronto Aeros to finish with the silver medal. Bogacki also previously won a bronze medal in the PWHL (OWHA Provincials).
Brook is a product of the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask., a legendary hockey factory that has produced numerous National Hockey League players. The five-foot-seven defender from Ste. Rose, Man., is poised with the puck, has a good shot from the point and has the ability to make an immediate impact in the starting line-up. She was a team captain this past season and led the Hounds to the SFMHL title and a runner-up finish at the 2010 ESSO Cup, the national midget championship.
Dovaston was the leading scorer on the Markham-Stouffville Stars this past season with 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) and will add a great level of skill to the team. A five-foot-five forward from Unionville, Ont., she is a fit athlete who also plays competitive soccer.
Langford, a five-foot-three forward from Blue Mountain, Ont., was the team captain of the Barrie Sharks this past season, the same club team that current Lions goaltender Sydney McMurter (Orillia, Ont.) played for. Also a member of New Zealand’s national ice hockey team and an Ontario Federation of Student Athletic Associations (OFSAA) finalist in swimming and cross country, Langford is a hard-working centre who adds depth and speed up front.
A five-foot-five defenceman from Hamilton, Ont., Finlay was an assistant captain with the Hamilton Hawks last season while contributing six points (two goals, four assists). She will add a great physical presence to the Lions.
“I am really excited by this class of recruits,” said Lions head coach Dan Church. “We have a great combination of skill, talent, athleticism and leadership which will add to our great core of returning players. All of these women are not only gifted hockey players but also excellent students. I think this class will help the York Lions continue to climb the standings in the OUA.”
The Lions have climbed steadily up the OUA standings in the last few years. In 2009-10, the squad finished third in the OUA standings with a 17-9-1 record and 35 points, a five-point increase over the previous season. The Lions will open the 2010-11 season in October; the complete schedule will be announced in June.
