Women's Hockey | 7/21/2014 9:17:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY – Head Coach
Scott McDonald and Assistant Coach
Matt Woodard are excited to announce the RIT women's hockey Class of 2018 on Monday, July 21. The class of six student-athletes includes four defensemen and two forwards. Four players hail from the province of Ontario in Canada, while two are from the United States.
"We are very excited for the youth and energy of this class," said McDonald, who is entering his ninth season behind the bench at RIT. "I'd like to thank Matt (Woodard) and former assistant coach Shivaun Siegl for helping bring in a great class. We have addressed needs on the defense that will allow a few players to move back to their natural forward position and make our lineup deeper and more balanced."
Up front,
Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Jr. Barracudas) and
Victoria Pitawanakwat (Manitowaning, Ontario/Sudbury Wolves) (Manitowaning, Ontario/Sudbury Lady Wolves) will look to compete for time right away and add to a deep offensive squad.
Henderson played the 2013-14 season for the Burlington Jr. Barracudas of the Provincial Women's Hockey League, recording 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists in 37 contests. Previously, the 5-foot-7 forward played two seasons with the Brampton Jr. Thunder with current RIT goaltender
Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale).
Pitawanakwat, who stands 5-foot-9, played the 2013-14 season for the Sudbury Lady Wolves of the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League, helping lead the squad to an 18-2-2 mark.
"Darcy (Henderson) is a gritty, tough forward, who plays well in all of the tough areas of the ice," said McDonald. "Her energy and determination on the ice is tough to match. Victoria (Pitawanakwat) is a strong power forward, who is extremely gifted in front of the net and has a knack to score. We are excited to see her reach her full potential at RIT."
On defense,
Lauren Carroll (Carlisle, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) (Carlisle, Ontario/Oakville Jr. Hornets),
Maddie Grisko (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Bisons) (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Bisons),
Haley Northcote (Cumberland, Ontario/Minnesota State) (Cumberland, Ontario/Minnesota State University), and
Christa Vuglar (Crystal Lake, IL/Chicago Mission) (Crystal Lake, IL/Chicago Mission) are poised to step in and make an immediate impact in 2014-15.
Carroll, who stands 5-foot-10, played the last two seasons for the Oakville Jr. Hornets of the Provincial Women's Hockey League. Last season, she tallied eight points on three goals and five assists in 35 games, while serving as an assistant captain. In 2012-13, Carroll chipped in with seven assists in 38 contests.
Grisko played the 2013-14 season for the Buffalo Bisons of the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League, while also playing for the Sweet Home/Amherst High School squad. Grisko, who stands 5-foot-6, had 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists for the Bisons in 45 contests, while tallying 22 goals and 12 assists for 34 points in 22 games for Sweet Home/Amherst.
Northcote, a 5-foot-7 blueliner is RIT's first transfer at the Division I level, as she played the previous two seasons for Minnesota State Mankato of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). In two seasons for the Mavericks, she tallied three assists in 54 games. Last year, Northcote played in 33 contests for Minnesota State. Northcote, who will be a junior for the Tigers in 2014-15, played her junior hockey with the Nepean Wildcats of the PWHL.
Vuglar played last season with the Chicago Mission, one of the top junior teams in the United States, helping them record a 72-7-2 mark. The 5-foot-3 defender was a captain for the under-16 and under-12 Mission squads and was the Bauer International Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2012.
"Lauren (Carroll) has great size and mobility, and a great shot from the point," said McDonald. "She will be tough to play against in front of our net. Maddie (Grisko) has good size and speed and will add depth to our defensive corps. Haley (Northcote) is an exciting addition, as our first Division I transfer. She knows what the Division I grind is like and has great hockey sense. What Christa (Vuglar) lacks in size, she makes up with determination and grit. She is a fierce competitor who understands the game well and will not shy away from any match up."
RIT moves into the 4,300-seat Gene Polisseni Center this season and will be eligible for the NCAA Championship for the first time as a Division I program in 2014-15. RIT finished the 2013-14 season with a 20-15-3 mark and won the CHA Championship in just its second season as a Division I program.
"As always, we like to bring in student-athletes who have good character and are willing to work hard with all of the adversity that comes at the collegiate level. We feel that this group will elevate our program once again to another level."
