U SPORTS transfers Sansregret, Verbicky and Schuttler bring valuable experience to Griffins
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – In preparation for joining the U SPORTS women's hockey ranks this season, the MacEwan Griffins have been playing a few exhibition games every year against Canada West competition.
As valuable as that has been for the 19 returning players, there is no substitute for adding recruits with experience in the new league they're entering.
Head coach Lindsay McAlpine added three of them to bolster the Griffins' 2020-21 roster – former Lethbridge Pronghorns Sage Sansregret (Science) and Mila Verbicky (Science), and former Ottawa Gee Gee Makenna Schuttler (Commerce) – as they move up from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.
"It's invaluable really," McAlpine explained. "We've had numerous exhibition series against Canada West teams. Some of our players – I look at our fifth years – have played a ton of teams and done well against them. But to actually play a full season of 28 games against the likes Alberta and Saskatchewan, and to have found some success for Lethbridge with one of their best seasons to date (is huge). We're really excited to have that, especially coming in as a first-year member."
When the University of Lethbridge announced in April that they were discontinuing their hockey programs, Sansregret and Verbicky – both coming off solid rookie Canada West seasons – needed a new home.
"Obviously, it was a very unfortunate situation for the program that they were in," said McAlpine. "Nobody likes to see a fellow U SPORTS member go down. We ended up getting Sage and Mila. Both played one year at the University of Lethbridge. We're obviously excited about the experience at the Canada West level that they're going to bring. Both forwards with very different styles."
Red Deer native Sansregret notched four goals and six points for the Pronghorns and was named the team's 2019-20 rookie of the year.
"Sage is a power forward who likes to play in the hard areas of the ice and has some good size," said McAlpine. "She's going to play a solid grit role that she performed very well at Lethbridge."
Creative forward Mila Verbicky out of Delta Academy has a year of Canada West experience under her belt with the University of Lethbridge in 2019-20 (MPP Photography).
Verbicky produced three goals and six points in her first Canada West season. The Bowser, B.C. product out of Delta Academy brings a creative presence to the Griffins' offence.
"Mila Verbicky is a small, skilled forward who is probably known best for her playmaking ability," said McAlpine.
"She's a solid skating, playmaking forward with great overall skill. She has great hands and makes plays in tight."
St. Albert Slash alum Makenna Schuttler joined the Griffins as a redshirt midway through the 2019-20 campaign after transferring from the Ottawa Gee Gees (Greg Kolz, University of Ottawa Varsity Athletics).
Schuttler actually joined the Griffins at Christmas last season, redshirting for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign after playing one game for the University of Ottawa in the first semester.
She's the latest alum from the St. Albert Slash to join MacEwan, winning two-straight national titles with the elite Midget AAA program from 2017-19, stepping up with 20 points in 30 games in her final season.
"Schutts joined our team at Christmas last season, after making the choice to leave U Ottawa to be closer to home," said McAlpine. "Though her U SPORTS experience is limited, the significance cannot be overlooked when entering our first year of Canada West competition. Prior to her time in Ottawa, Makenna played for the St. Albert Slash, helping them win back to back national championships."
Schuttler joins former Slash teammates Shyla Kirwer, Jayme Doyle, Brianna Sank, Vanessa Verbitsky, Brooklyn Schroeder and Robyn Short on the Griffins. Griffins defenceman Keely Vachon is also a Slash product.
Schuttler brings leadership and a power game that will improve MacEwan's offensive attack.
"Makenna is a power forward who plays a physical game, adding size and strength to our forward group," said McAlpine. "Schutts is also a natural leader, making an impact in the short time she was with the Griffins last season."
