Source: ACC Blog
The Assiniboine Cougars women’s hockey team are headed to The Lone Star State later this month for the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Nationals, which runs March 27 – 31, 2019.
“Communities across Westman will be cheering for the Cougars from 1,800 km away as the team competes for the top spot at this year’s championship,” said Athletics Director Beth Clark. “The team is ready and rarin’ to go, as they say in Texas.”
The Cougars will descend on Frisco, just north of Dallas, Texas, ready for their first game on March 27, where they will face off against the Eastern Region’s #5 ranked Mercyhurst University Lakers at 10:30 a.m.
The Cougars are currently ranked #2 in the West Region, with 18-6-1 in the regular season. The team’s only losses during league were to the #1 ranked Minot State University Beavers.
This is the second consecutive year the team has competed in the ACHA and the second year they have qualified for the national championship.
In addition to the Cougar’s first game against the Mercyhurst University Lakers on March 27, they also have games set against #3 (East) ranked Northeastern University Huskies on the 28th and the #6 (East) Rowan University on the 29th.
“The girls have grown so much this season. They understand the systems we run and the principles we believe in: team, respect, and hard work,” said head coach Tony Bertone. “If they bring these three things to the rink and in life, they will be successful and we will do well at nationals.”
“This year’s team has a better idea of what to expect at the national championship,” says captain and Assiniboine Practical Nursing student, Mariah McCue. “Many of us experienced it last year and the knowledge gained is shared with new players. We have aggressive forwards and our scoring is more balanced this year. Our defensive corps are mostly veterans backed by a strong goalie so we are more solid this year.”
Supporting the Cougars team this year on the ground in Texas is a student-run production team. Interactive Media Arts (IMA) instructor Murray Oliver and students will be capturing games, athlete interviews, and providing post-game video highlights and recaps for media outlets in Westman.
The IMA production team will also provide game time and behind-the-scenes coverage on the Cougar’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
Games will be livestreamed on the ACHA’s YouTube Channel. Schedules, scores, and more may be found at pointstreaksites.com/view/achanationals.
