UNews - Sadie Lenstra

Women's hockey team takes to the road

trevor.kenney — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 22:59:34 +0000

After a home heavy first semester the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team will have to be road warriors the second half of the season if they are going to make a return to the post-season. That challenge begins this weekend in Regina versus the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina Cougars.

Entering the second semester, the Horns (5-8-3) trail the Calgary Dinos by two points for the final playoff spot but will play eight of their 12 games this semester on the road.

During the first semester, the Horns scored 33 times but surrendered the second most goals in the conference with 47 and suffered six one-goal losses.

If the Horns are going to be successful during the second semester, one area that will have to improve will be their speciality team play. Heading into this weekend, the Horns are ranked seventh in power play percentage at 8.3% and last in penalty killing (82.1%).

Sadie Lenstra and Kirsten Reeves lead the Horns offensively with nine points each and Lenstra also leads the team in goals with six.

After splitting the goaltending duties earlier this season, it looks as if Crystal Patterson has emerged as the team's number one goaltender. Patterson started the final six games before the semester break and she sports a 2.34 goals-against-average and a .923 save percentage.

The Cougars (9-6-1) enter the second half of the season six points ahead of the Horns and in fifth place but have their sights set on the Manitoba Bisons and Alberta Pandas for a coveted home playoff date in the opening round of the playoffs. The Cougars trail the Bisons by one point and the Pandas by two points.

Having scored and allowed the exact same amount of goals with 32, the Cougars have played in close games for the majority of the season, including nine one-goal games, winning five of those contests.

Offensively challenged through the first semester, the Cougars are led by a trio of players with seven points in Meghan Sherven, Kylie Gavelin and Tori Head. Sherven leads the team with five goals.

In the crease, the Cougars have two solid options with Jennifer Schmidt and Toni Ross. Schmidt has a stingy 1.54 goals-against-average, while Ross sports a 2.20 GAA.

In October, the Cougars swept the Horns in Lethbridge with 5-1 and 2-1 wins, the second one coming in a shootout. The puck drops both Friday and Saturday nights in Regina at 7 p.m. CST and both games will also be streamed live on Canada West TV.

Horns women's hockey team looks to get back on track

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 23:08:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team returns to action this week after their first half bye a week ago, hosting the Manitoba Bisons for a pair of games at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The bye could not have come at a better time for the Horns, having lost three games in a row, including being swept by the Alberta Pandas in their last conference action in Edmonton.

The Pronghorns will look to limit scoring chances this weekend when they host the Manitoba Bisons for a two-game set at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Those two losses to the Pandas dropped the Horns to two games under .500 and they currently sit sixth in the conference with a record of 3-5-2. While the conference has seen some separation in the standings in the past few weeks, only eight points separate the first place Saskatchewan Huskies and UBC Thunderbirds and seventh place Calgary Dinos.

If the Horns are going to make a move up the standings this season, they will need to shore up their defensive game. The Horns are tied for the most goals allowed in the conference with 31. Shauntelle Williams and Crystal Patterson have split the goaltending duties thus far, with both starting five contests, but neither of them rank among the top ten in Canada West goals against averages.

Another area of concern for the Horns is the team’s specialty team units. Currently, the Pronghorns are ranked last in the conference in penalty killing (79.5%) and seventh in power play (98.1%).

Offensively, the Horns have scored 21 goals in 10 games are led by the trio of Sadie Lenstra, Sarah Spence and Kirsten Reeves. Lenstra has four goals and two assists, while Spence and Reeves each have six points.

For the Bisons, the 2013-14 season has been up and down through the first five weekends of action, and they sit one spot above the Horns in fifth place with a 5-4-1 record. Despite splitting their last two series with the Calgary Dinos and Regina Cougars, the Bisons have earned at least one point every weekend thus far.

The Bisons rank in the middle of the pack in both goals for and goals against with 22 and 21 respectively, but have the third best penalty killing unit in the conference, killing off 91% of their penalties.

Between the pipes, the Bisons have had three different goaltenders see action but rookie Amanda Schubert has the superior numbers of the three. In five appearances, Schubert has a 1.29 goals-against-average and a 0.942 save percentage.

Meagan Vestby leads the Bison offensive attack with one goal and a conference best 11 assists. Kyleigh Palmer and Maggie Litchfield-Medd lead the team in goals with four apiece.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 7 p.m. and the games will also be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv

Hockey programs take it on the road

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 22:01:33 +0000

For the first time this season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team heads out on the road for a two game set, traveling to Edmonton to face the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the ‘Horns have only played one road game, the front half of a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.

If the early season results are any indication, every point is going to be valuable. So far, five points separate first to seventh in the Canada West standings, with the Horns sitting in sixth at 3-3-2. The Pandas (4-2-2) enter the weekend in fourth place, only two points ahead of the Horns.

After splitting their series last weekend with the Saskatchewan Huskies, the Horns need to string some wins together if they hope to move up the standings.

Head coach Chandy Kaip continues to platoon the goaltending duties between Shauntelle Williams and Crystal Patterson with both seeing action in four games. Williams has the better numbers with a 1.83 goals-against-average. Sadie Lenstra and Sarah Spence lead the Horns offensively with six points and are tied for eighth in conference scoring.

The Pandas enter the weekend after losing both games to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver last weekend, but earned a point in Saturday’s 2-1 shootout loss.

Puck drop in Edmonton is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday, and both games with be webcast on http://canadawest.tv.

Pronghorn men

Still in search of their elusive first win of the season, the Pronghorns men’s hockey team heads out on the road again this weekend, traveling to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds for a pair of games.

This weekend will also put an end to a difficult stretch to open the season, as seven of the Horns' first eight conference games have been played on the road. After this weekend, the Horns will play five of their next eight games at home.

Offensively, the Horns have struggled, scoring just six goals in six games and if they are going to right the ship this season, they will need to increase their productivity. Specialty teams continue to be an area of concern as well, with the Horns ranking last in power play efficiency and second last in penalty killing.

Third-year forward Cass Mappin leads the team in scoring and has been involved in more than half of the Horns goals with four points.

For the Thunderbirds (1-5-0), the 2013-14 season has also gotten off to a rocky start and they enter the weekend having lost three games in a row, including being swept by the Alberta Golden Bears last weekend in Edmonton.

While not as drastic as the Horns' offensive woes, the Thunderbirds are the third lowest scoring team in the conference with 16 goals in six games. They have also allowed 28 goals against, the second most in the conference.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night’s games is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Live stats for both games can be found at http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/mens/en/stats/index.php?season_id=22.

Horns hosting defending Canada West champs to open season

trevor.kenney — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:39:53 +0000

Following the best season in school history in 2011-12, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team took a step back last season and missed the playoffs. With a veteran laden roster set to return this season, the team looks to move back into the playoff picture.

A total of 19 players are returning from last season, although the ‘Horns have lost a good portion of their leadership group with the graduation of captain Ashley Beattie and Amy Van Buskirk. While both blueliners made great contributions to the program, the back-end is in good hands with senior Glenda Edie and fourth-year defenders Courtney Minor and Katie Mucha.

Goaltender Crystal Patterson will play a key role in any success the Horns women's hockey team has this season.

The returning goaltending tandem of Crystal Patterson and Shauntelle Williams give the Pronghorns a solid one-two punch in net. Patterson, a 2011-12 Canada West first team all-star, has carried the load the last two seasons and will look to replicate her stellar 2011-12 season. After leading the conference with six shutouts in 2011-12, she did not record one last season but had solid numbers with a 2.31 goals-against-average and 0.917 save percentage.

Despite being one of the lowest scoring teams in the conference last season, the Pronghorns possess a group of talent forwards and will look to score by committee. Megan Bailey had a breakout season last year and her team leading 16 points tripled her output from the previous campaign.

Third-year forward Kirsten Reeves led the ‘Horns last season with 12 goals, putting her in a tie for third in the conference, and she will be leaned on heavily for production again this season.

2011-12 Canada West rookie of the year Sadie Lenstra will look to rebound from an injury plagued 2012-13 campaign. After leading all Canada West rookies in scoring, Lenstra missed more than half of the season last year and never really found her stride.

Sarah Spence will be another forward to watch for the ‘Horns this season. Spence had a solid rookie season last year, registering 13 points, and will be counted on to take another step forward.

With seven of their first eight games at home to start the year, the ‘Horns have a great opportunity for a fast start.

The UBC Thunderbirds will not sneak up on the competition in 2013-14. Coming off an improbable season which saw the ‘Birds go from one regular season win in 2011-12 to a 17-7-4 regular season record, a Canada West Championship and a fifth-place finish at the CIS Championships in 2012-13, UBC will be the number one target in the conference.

Back between the pipes is Second Team All-Canadian Daniel Dube, while Second Team Canada West All-Star Christi Capozzi and Sarah Casorso will anchor the back end. Up front Second Team Canada West All-Star Tatiana Rafter, along with Rebecca Unrau, Stephanie Schaupmeyer, and Nicole Saxvik will expected to lead the charge offensively.

Keep your eye on towering newcomers Kathleen Cahoon (6’1) and Hannah Heisler (6’0) at forward, while fellow rookies Devon Morrison and Stephanie Payne could have an immediate impact on the blueline.

Reigning CIS and Canada West Coach of the Year Graham Thomas enters his second year behind the bench and is eager to prove last year was not a fluke.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena both Friday and Saturday nights. Both games will also be webcast on www.canadawest.tv, home for all Canada West webcasts.

Patterson responds with breakout season

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:03:36 +0000

Goaltender Crystal Patterson was challenged by head coach Chandy Kaip to be better than a third-string player. Suffice it to say, she responded.

The second-year Calgary product posted one of the best Canada West seasons ever for the Pronghorns women's hockey team, helping the Horns to their best finish in franchise history and first playoff appearance in five seasons.

"I took that challenge and pretty much proved coach wrong that I was a third string goalie," says Patterson, who was named to the Canada West First All-Star Team and Horns Female Athlete of the Year. "I knew I had to get my fitness up and it was something I worked on and it turned out pretty well."

Patterson started all but one conference game this season, leading Canada West in minutes played (1401:22), shutouts (6) and total saves (607). She was also second in the conference in wins (14), third in save percentage (0.928) and fourth in goals-against-average (2.01).

In her second year with the Horns, Patterson came out of the Edge Hockey Academy in her hometown of Calgary. She says there was never a consideration to play for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

"No, I never thought about it. I actually loved coming to Lethbridge because it is close to Calgary but it gives you your own independence and freedom," she says. "If you need to go home, it's just a two-hour drive. My parents are able to come down and watch me play pretty much every weekend too, and they come on a lot of our road trips as well, so it's great to have that support."

It's a consistent theme on the Horns, with five players from Calgary and a sixth who attended Edge Academy. Canada West Rookie of the Year, Sadie Lenstra, is another Calgary product, proving it is fertile ground for U of L recruiters.

Off the ice, Patterson is studying in the Faculty of Management.

"It's too early to tell what I want to do with my degree," she says. "My dad wants me to do something with the family trucking business but I'm not sure. I just may get a good background in business and see where it takes me."

Patterson will head back to Calgary once the spring semester ends, but part of her summer training will involve further work with Kaip as she takes her first turn at helping up and coming youngsters.

"Chandy just came to me with the opportunity, and it will be my first chance to work with kids so I'm really looking forward to it," says Patterson.

She understands how a future can be shaped by the influence of a mentor. She recalls an instance where National Hockey League goaltender Curtis Joseph made a lasting impression on her with just one small gesture.

"I got the chance to play between periods at a Flames' game and he was playing for the Detroit Red Wings then," recounts Patterson. "I remember he patted me on the pads and he's been my favourite ever since."

Of course, as a hockey-playing girl growing up in Calgary, current rival Hayley Wickenheiser was also a big factor.

"Hayley Wickenheiser was a big influence for all girls who played hockey in Calgary because she was always involved in camps and things like that," says Patterson. "You'd see her with her medals and she'd come out on the ice with you, so that's why it's so strange to be playing against her now. She was an idol and now she's our competition, I never thought I'd experience that."

After a season of monumental successes, both Patterson and the Horns will be expected to take the next step in 2012-13, but if we've learned anything about "the Monster" as she's been dubbed, it's that the five-foot-10 inch Patterson relishes a challenge.

"Chandy said to us last year that within our time here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, we'll be up there challenging for playoffs and playing with the best teams," she says. "It's pretty astounding that we were able to make playoffs in our second year, but I want to put a banner in our barn before I'm done here."

This story first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Canada West awards for women's hockey

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:23:49 +0000

The Pronghorns women's hockey team posted its best ever Canada West record this season and the conference has recognized that success with a pair of major awards for the program.

First-year forward Sadie Lenstra was named Canada West Rookie of the Year and head coach Chandy Kaip earned the nod as Canada West Coach of the Year, it was announced Thursday.

Lenstra was a highly recruited Calgary product who stepped right into the Pronghorns' lineup with an immediate impact, scoring in her very first game.

Not only did she lead conference freshmen in scoring, but with 19 points in 22 games, Lenstra finished 12th overall in the conference scoring race. The majority of her team-leading 10 goals came at the most opportune time, leading the team with three game-winning goals as Lethbridge went 14-8-2 on the season. In addition to her offensive prowess, Lenstra provided the Horns with a two-way game, also leading the team in plus/minus, with a +8 rating.

"Sadie is a very talented and dynamic player," says Kaip. "She has stepped in on our first line, all special teams and has been a top contributor for us. This is a big role for a rookie to play and Sadie met many of our expectations for a first-year player."

Kaip also met or exceeded expectations. It took some time and patience, but that perseverance paid off for the fourth-year head coach, who guided the Horns to their best season in school history. The 14 wins doubled the program's previous best and was a 19-point turnaround from last season, vaulting the team from seventh place into a playoff spot for the first time in five years.

"Chandy had a good year this year, she had a strong recruiting class and she developed her team into a strong competitive unit," says Pronghorn Athletics Executive Director Sandy Slavin. "Being selected for this award by her peers recognizes the effort Chandy has put into the program."

UNews - Sadie Lenstra

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