Three Stars: Ward, Hobal, Johnson earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Men's hockey student-athlete Eric Ward is the MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after a magnificent performance in net against cross-town rival Alberta on Saturday night.
Ward stopped 38 of 40 shots, securing a point for the Griffins in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Golden Bears.
Women's soccer midfielder Brynn Hobal and women's hockey goaltender Lindsey Johnson are the second and third stars of the week, respectively.
It's the first appearance of the 2025-26 season for both Ward and Johnson, while Hobal is on the Three Stars list for a second-straight week after being named third star on Oct. 7.
Eric Ward had a .950 save percentage in Saturday game vs. Alberta, leading MacEwan to a point in a 2-1 overtime loss (Derek Harback photo).
1st STAR: Eric Ward, G, men's hockey
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Arts
As the Griffins aimed to rebound from a tough 7-1 loss at Alberta on Friday, they were led by Ward, who was locked in, making 38 saves on 40 shots in Saturday's rematch.
Among his efforts, he stopped a second period penalty shot and stopped four of five other breakaways in the contest, among many other high danger chances.
WARDO!
— MacEwan Griffins Men's Hockey (@GriffinsMHKY) October 12, 2025
Including a penalty shot, Eric Ward shuts down his fourth breakaway of the game late in the third period.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/GFigJbUEaa
It got the Griffins to overtime where they earned a point in a 2-1 loss vs. the Golden Bears to improve to 1-2-1 on the season.
The game was Ward's season debut, so he now has a 1.86 goals against average and .950 save percentage, which are ranked fifth and third, respectively, in Canada West.
Ward and the Griffins head into a home-and-home series vs. Mount Royal University on Friday (7 p.m., Downtown Community Arena) and Saturday (5 p.m. in Calgary, both Canada West TV).
Brynn Hobal was a force for the Griffins against cross-town rival Alberta on Saturday, finishing with two assists in a 3-3 draw (Graeme Kelly photo).
2nd STAR: Brynn Hobal, M, women's soccer
Edmonton, AB, third-year, Commerce
On a windy, rainy day at Foote Field, the Griffins faced some adversity against cross-town rival Alberta, but escaped with a point thanks in no small part to the play of Hobal.
A week after scoring two late goals to lift MacEwan past a pesky Lethbridge team, she came up with two key assists against the Pandas to ensure a result for the Griffins.
Hobal's gorgeous through pass in the 11th minute sent Sophie Lavallee onto a breakaway for the game's opening goal.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) October 11, 2025
Boom. Sophie Lavallee scores her fifth goal of the season on a breakaway to give @MacEwanGriffins a 1-0 lead over #YEG rival @PandasSoccer just over 10 minutes into the game.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/Qh09Nh9nQ4
Then, just over three minutes later, she tapped a pass back to Raeghan McCarthy who drilled home the Griffins' second goal from just above the box.
Hobal also finished the contest with a full 90-minute effort in midfield and was a big reason why the Griffins got a point, ensuring they're still alive in a bid to host a playoff game.
To do so, they would need to beat Alberta on Saturday (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV) and have Mount Royal fall to Calgary.
For the season, Hobal now leads the Griffins with eight points (five goals and three assists), which is tied for seventh in Canada West.
Lindsey Johnson stares down a point-blank Pandas chance on Saturday. She stopped 27 of 30 shots (Connor Hood photo).
3rd STAR: Lindsey Johnson, G, women's hockey
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Nursing
Outshot 30-16, the Griffins women's hockey team almost escaped with at least a point anyway from their evening at the Clare Drake Arena on Saturday when Lindsey Johnson came up with a strong effort in net.
She stopped 27 of 30 shots in the contest and gave her team a chance, but a late powerplay shot through a screen in the game's final minute gave the Pandas a 3-2 win.
For the season, Johnson has a 3.01 goals against average and .905 save percentage. Her 57 saves so far rank her fifth in the conference.
The Griffins will face Mount Royal University in a home-and-home series this weekend – Friday in Calgary (7 p.m.) and Saturday at home (5 p.m., Downtown Community Arena, both Canada West TV).
