By Canadian Press

Drever gets last chance to add hardware at U Sports women’s hockey nationals

Mar 13, 2024 | 2:59 PM

SASKATOON — Camryn Drever has one last shot at adding to her collection of hardware on the U Sports level.

The 23-year-old fifth-year netminder will suit up for her final games with the host Saskatchewan Huskies at the U Sports women’s hockey championship tournament, which runs at Merlis Belsher Place.

The eight-team competition starts Thursday with a quarterfinal between the fifth-seeded St. Francis Xavier X-Women and the fourth-seeded Waterloo Warriors. The eighth-seeded Huskies play in the following quarterfinal against the top-seeded Concordia Stingers.

“I don’t really know how to feel about it yet,” said Drever. “Potentially there are only three games left in this Huskies jersey.

“It is going to be awesome. Definitely, I am not going to take it for granted.”

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Prior to her time with Saskatchewan, Drever played for the St. Albert Slash helping them to Esso Cup title wins as national under-18 AAA female hockey champions in 2017 and 2018. The Edmonton product joined the Huskies in the fall of 2018.

She took on the starter’s role with the squad after U Sports returned to regular action in 2021-22 following disruptions due to the pandemic.

Drever backstopped the Huskies to that season’s Canada West championship series, where they fell to the UBC Thunderbirds. At the 2022 U Sports nationals in Charlottetown, P.E.I., she powered the Huskies to a bronze medal.

In January 2023, Drever was part of Canada’s women’s hockey team that won gold at the FISU World University Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. 

During the 2023-24 regular season with the Huskies, Drever posted a 15-4-2 record, a 1.33 goals-against average, a .954 save percentage and five shutouts. She was named Canada West’s player of the year and goaltender of the year for her efforts.

Drever said she will always look fondly on her time with the Huskies.

“Just to kind of see it all come together and to end off hosting nationals is a pretty incredible feeling,” said Drever. “There are really no words to kind of capture the last six years and all the memories in the dressing room and road trips and everything.”

The Huskies are in tough against the Stingers. Saskatchewan finished fourth in Canada West with a 19-7-2 mark and fell in the conference quarterfinals in a series-deciding Game 3 to the Calgary Dinos.

The Stingers posted a perfect 25-0-0 regular season record and captured the RSEQ title with a 4-2 post-season mark. Emilie Lussier topped the Stingers in regular-season scoring with 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists).

Huskies head coach Steve Kook said having Drever gives his side a chance for an upset.

“You don’t replace that pedigree,” said Kook. “She is just so calm back there.

“We’re going to play No. 1. We’re going to screw up, and it is just nice to know that you have the No. 1 goalie in the nation back there.”

When nationals come to an end, Drever hopes to continue her playing career in the Professional Women’s Hockey League or overseas.

“I think my plan right now is to declare for the draft and see what comes of that,” said Drever. “If not, I think for sure somewhere out in Europe would be a fantastic opportunity.”

Here is a quick look at the six other teams in the field:

— The No. 2 Thunderbirds topped Canada West with a 24-1-3 mark and won a third straight conference title, going 4-2 in the post-season. Mackenzie Kordic led the team in scoring with 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists).

— The No. 3 New Brunswick Reds placed second in the AUS with a 21-6-1 mark and went 5-1 in the post-season to take the conference title. Lillian George topped the Reds in scoring with 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists).

— The No. 4 Warriors were second in OUA West at 18-7-3 and went 5-1 in the post-season to win the OUA championship. Leah Herrfort led the Warriors in scoring with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists).

— The No. 5 X-Women topped the AUS standings at 21-5-2 and went 3-4 in the post-season falling to the Reds in the conference final. Maggy Burbidge topped the X-Women offensively with 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists).

— The No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues placed second in OUA East at 19-8-1 and went 4-3 in the post-season, falling in the OUA final to the Warriors. Taylor Trussler led the way offensively with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists).

— The No. 7 Montreal Carabins were third in RSEQ at 13-10-2 and went 3-3 in the post-season, falling to the Stingers in the RSEQ final. Marie Terriault topped the team in scoring with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2024.

Darren Steinke, The Canadian Press