Graduating Senior Q&As: Championship moments stand out for five women's hockey players
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – From the moment a student-athlete steps through the doors at MacEwan, their journey is a special one filled with memories of great plays, big wins, unforgettable times with teammates and a transformation into the person they are today.
In five years (or less), which feels like the blink of an eye, that journey is over.
As our graduating student-athletes move on from the program and prepare for the next chapter of life, we are asking them to reflect on their time as a Griffin.
From March 15-24, we will be featuring Q&As with our graduates by sport.
Here is the schedule:
Today – Women's Hockey
March 18 – Men's Basketball
March 19 – Women's Volleyball
March 22 – Men's Hockey
March 23 – Women's Soccer
March 24 – Cross Country
Jessi Rampton skates up the ice against SAIT during the 2019-20 season. She will never forget MacEwan's first of three-straight ACAC Championships when they beat the Trojans in 2017 (Joel Kingston photo).
Jessi Rampton
Forward (2016-21)
Graduating with: Honours in Political Science
Future plans ... Pursuing Masters in Political Science
What are some of your favourite memories from your time as a Griffin?
"Everyone would have said that first championship. That year we were still rising in the ranks and that was the year we were considered the underdogs. Just to see all the coaches and the fifth-years come from where they started and being a part of that championship has to be the best memory. Anytime we got to travel with the team, a lot of the preseason we got to stay in hotels overnight and those are always good memories. Travelling with the team, the bus rides the first two years when we were away for the championships. We always wanted to be in our home rink, so it sucks we didn't get that opportunity the last year. Those bus rides back, those are the top memories I have. We had the same bus driver throughout the whole trip and he was celebrating, too. Everyone celebrating and music bumping all the way from Calgary, it was awesome."
You're one of the players who've come from Manitoba – almost a pipeline from there. How do you look at the legacy you've helped establish because there continue to be recruits from Manitoba?
"Before I came to MacEwan, we only had one girl from Manitoba. The ACAC's just such a great league to play in. It's really competitive. In Manitoba, you have the U of M and that's really it. It's tough – the whole process of sending videos and getting coaches to come look at you. But I feel so many girls have come out this way whether it's ACAC or Canada West. I can't imagine playing anywhere else. I think it's a great opportunity. Alberta's such a strong league in Midget and Manitoba's good, too, but you're just competing with all of these midget girls in the same graduating class. I think having a focus on Manitoba players, there's a lot of good players who come out of there and it's a great path for a lot of people."
You've won four-straight ACAC Scholar Athlete awards and I'm assuming you might be on your way to another one, although as a U SPORTS All Canadian. Your focus on your studies has been exemplary. How do you reflect on that and what you've been able to bring to the table academically as a leader on the team?
"That's a huge compliment for me. That's been a big focus for me. Even when you're picking schools, academics have to come first. That was a big draw to me when picking MacEwan – the university program. I think it's really important. We strive for a high team GPA and that's really important. I think leading on the team in academics is equally important. When you're done this five years, that's what you have. Where you stand academically through your Bachelor's Degree is going to set the precedent for what you do next. We definitely have less Arts students, but showing that's a viable option and how important academics are, if I can be a leader in that way or set an example in the future, that would be a big compliment for me."
Any other highlights or funny memories that stand out to you from your time with the Griffins?
"I remember my first year, we were at SAIT and I think I scored the tying goal and then we went into OT. I contributed in a small way. You contribute in a lot of ways, obviously, and if you're not on the scoreboard, there's a lot more to it than that. Being able to put something up on the board in that game, I'll never forget it. In my first year, that might have been one of my first five goals, too, so that was really special.
"Funny memories, it's got to be about fitness testing. Lindsay (McAlpine)'s history of fitness testing has to be written down somewhere. Every year, the last weekend of August, it was just grueling – the worst week of the year – then on that Friday you were done and you passed. It's so dramatic and every year you get through it. That's always the funniest just how big of a deal that is."
Anything else to say about the experience being a Griffin?
"I'm very grateful for my experience. I can't imagine going anywhere else – the coaches, the team. Five years went by so incredibly quickly. I'm very thankful for the chance that I got and for everyone that was involved. It was a great five years. I'm really going to miss it."
Breanna Golosky's impressive progression from her rookie year earned her the Griffins' Most Improved Player award in 2019-20 (Joel Kingston photo).
Breanna Golosky
Forward (2016-21)
Graduating with … Bachelor's in Psychology
Future plans ... Psychiatric Nursing program at MacEwan
What are some of your favourite memories from your time as a Griffin?
"I feel like every moment with the Griffs was pretty great. Just looking outside now with the nice weather, I think a lot of good memories are after all our championships. We used to hang out in Towers. When it got nice outside, we'd always take turns sitting with the trophy at Towers, so that was always fun."
Everyone would get the trophy in a different rotation?
"Yeah, whenever someone would go off to class, someone else would come take the trophy. It was pretty fun."
That's amazing to win all of those championships. How do you look back on that?
"I think it's fun to look back on all those wins, but it's also fun to look back on all the hard work that went into them. All year long, we all had our struggles independently or as a team. We'd have bad weekends here and there, but our perseverance and teamwork came together in the end."
You won Most Improved Player in 2019-20. That was a special season for you – you got a lot more playing time and came into your own as a player. How would you sum up that year?
"It was something I had worked really hard for. My first three years, I wasn't happy with what I'd been given, so that off-season I really stuck it to myself – 'if I was going to play on this team, I was going to be a contributing factor.' I worked really, really hard for that. Then I showed what I was able to do. I was able to stay in the lineup. It was good, I was happy for myself."
Do you look back with pride on how you were able to do that?
"Definitely. I was very happy with what I was able to do. I know I'm very hard on myself a lot of the time, so I think my biggest factor that I took a second to realize 'I play hockey for fun' and that's when it really turned around for me. I stepped out of my head and started to play hockey for what it was. I had a lot of fun."
Any particular highlights stand out to you?
"It's kind of more an embarrassing moment. Jaime Erickson and I were talking about this the other day. We were playing an exhibition game in B.C. before the 2019-20 season. I don't know what I was doing, but full speed, I just open-ice hit Jaime. She was hurt so bad. She went off the ice and wasn't feeling good. I felt so bad. Now we can look back and laugh about it, but at the time, I felt so bad. It was so embarrassing."
Anything else you want to say about the whole experience?
"It's just gone by so fast. I know with COVID it felt like I got robbed a bit in that last season, but it really goes by so fast. I'm just grateful for all the opportunities I've had with the Griffs. I hope they have a good season next year. I'll be in Edmonton still, so I'll be watching for as long as I can."
Jaime Erickson's impressive play during the 2019-20 season earned her a spot on the ACAC first all-star team (Joel Kingston photo).
Jaime Erickson
Defence (2016-21)
Graduating with ... Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology
Future plans ... Air traffic controller or pharmaceutical sales rep; possibly coaching hockey in future
Favourite memories?
"It has been such an incredible experience over the last five years and it would be very easy to say that winning three, almost four, championships with the Griffins would be my favourite memories, but I have to say some of my favourite moments come off the ice. Laughing with everyone in the dressing room before practice, singing pre-game chants at the top of our lungs, ping pong tournaments, having get-togethers on the weekends, driving out to Kennedy's lake, the list could go on."
You were named to the ACAC first all-star team in your fourth season in 2019-20. How did that validate all of your hard work?
"It was an amazing achievement. There is a lot of time that gets sacrificed to be a student-athlete and it's a wonderful feeling when all of the hard work you put into being an athlete gets recognized."
Any other highlights – goals, defensive plays, funny moments – that stand out to you from your time as a Griffin?
"My favourite goal was in my first year at MacEwan in the semifinals against Red Deer. We were in triple overtime and I scored the winning goal to advance us to the finals. It wasn't pretty, but I'll remember it forever. I'm pretty sure I batted it out of the air with my backhand in a scrum in front of the net.
"A funny memory I have is when we took our trip to Vancouver to play UBC and Holy Trinity. During our game against UBC I was skating up the ice with the puck and out of absolutely nowhere, 120-pound Breanna Golosky, my teammate and good friend, delivered an exceptionally thorough body check mid-ice, which rendered me out of the game, in the hospital later that night and subsequently benched for the next six weeks due to a kidney injury. Needless to say, we're still great friends and tease one another about it when the opportunity presents itself."
If you look back at when you first came into the program and compare it to where you are now, where would you see the growth?
"I've grown so much since my first year here at MacEwan. When I came to MacEwan, I was a quiet, submissive person who didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. Now I consider myself a strong leader on this team with a fairly good idea of where I want to go. Being and athlete on the team has most definitely helped me come out of my shell and develop a strong sense of confidence both as an athlete and a person."
Anything else to say about your time as a Griffin?
"Over the last five years, I've watched the women's hockey team's skill grow immensely. Each year, we've got stronger, faster and worked better together, so it's really heartbreaking we weren't able to finish our 2019-20 season or even get to play a game this far into the 2020-21 season because I know our team was destined for great things. I'll be a GriffFan the rest of my life and I'm so grateful for all of the life memories MacEwan has given me. The personal relationships I've made from playing on this team are one that are going to last forever."
Jill MacWilliam rounds the corner in Game 2 of the 2020 ACAC final against NAIT. Her hallmarks of speed and shot blocking were key for the Griffins in three-straight championship wins (Len Joudrey photo).
Jill MacWilliam
Forward (2016-21)
Graduating with ... Bachelor of Sociology, specializing in technology and minoring in psychology
Future plans ... Pursuing Masters of Criminology
Favourite memories in your Griffins career?
"Last season was particularly memorable for me. I think with how everything happened with COVID, you didn't know what you had until it was gone. We just came together and worked really hard. We were just trying so hard to four-peat. Everyone just wanted it that much more. Maybe because it was the most recent, I think last season was super special."
Look back at yourself when you first entered the program to where you are now. Where do you see the growth?
"I would say my first year was incomparable to my last year. I'm a completely different person coming out of it for the better. Spending four years with the Griffs and at MacEwan made me work and know what I want, made me a better person and more hard working and charismatic. The friendships I've made and who I am as a person. I'm completely different from when I came into the program."
Where would you say your legacy to the program lies?
"My work ethic and shot blocking. It didn't matter if it was an off-ice workout, a practice or a game, I was going to show up and try my hardest.
Any highlights stand out to you from your time as a Griffin – a big goal or a funny moment?
"I think it was in my third year or maybe second, I was notorious for breaking my skate blades. I remember one time during a game, my blade broke on the ice. I was in the far corner and I had to push myself all the way back to the bench on one skate. The ref didn't even blow it down. He made me crawl back.
"Last season, there were some pretty good goals. I think we were in Red Deer our last game. I tied it up with a couple seconds left. We went to overtime and I almost scored again with the same move, but then I assisted the winning goal by Jaime Erickson. We ended up winning in overtime, which was a super good feeling."
Anything else to say about your experience with the Griffins?
"Honestly, I would say it's a bittersweet moment coming to an end, but right now I'm just feeling the sad part of it. The five years really flies by. It seems like yesterday I was a first year coming in. I was like, 'holy, I have five years of this, it's all the time in the world. Now you're at the end and you're like 'wow that was fast.' My advice to the girls is appreciate it now. Obviously, there's an exciting new journey next, but just appreciate the time you have. They're your second family. Enjoy the travel and all those moments."
Courtney Beierbach makes a save during a 2016-17 game, her first season with the Griffins (Nick Kuiper photo).
Courtney Beierbach
Goaltender (2016-21)
Graduating with ... Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing
Future plans ... Marketing for a sports team, pursuing a Masters degree in the future
Favourite memories?
"I think some of my favourite memories are just hanging out in the dressing room with the girls. There's always music playing and someone's always got a story to tell. One of the biggest ones that sticks out is in my first year when we won our first championship, just getting to celebrate with everybody after – that was our first big one. People weren't sure if we were ever going to win it, so that was a huge memory."
If you look back at yourself when you first entered the program to where you are now, where would you see the growth?
"I think when I first entered the program, I was a lot more quiet and reserved, but I've really grown as a person because of the people I've met and the things I've got to do. They really make you become more confident. That's a huge thing Lindsay (McAlpine) does is to develop our character for when we leave. She wants us to leave a stronger and more independent person. I think that's definitely happened to me over the course of five years."
The third goalie is a tough role for anyone to fill because it's a lot of practicing without a lot of playing time. How much of a challenge was that and how proud are you you've been able to come all this way and fill an important role that really never gets recognized?
"My first year, even playing as the backup goalie was hard. All throughout my minor career and midget I was the No. 1 goalie, so it was a culture shock for sure. I had to learn to love the game of hockey again. It wasn't playing the games, it was why I was there. I got to support the team in different ways. When they were feeling down about not playing I got to help them pick themselves back up. You still have to work hard in practice every day because you're still there to make your team better. I think I learned a lot from it. No one really notices you, but it's OK. I don't like to be in the spotlight."
Any other specific highlights or funny moments stand out for you?
"One of the things that stands out to me, the first game I ever got to play for the Griffs, I went to play the puck and I fell behind the net. I was just mortified, but everyone else was just laughing. I think I just caught an edge. Nothing bad happened other than me falling. It was just a mad scramble trying to get back in the net."
Anything else you'd like to say about your experience with the Griffins?
"I think the people are what I'm going to miss most about the team. Just being with them day in and day out the last five years, there's never been a dull moment. There are so many personalities on the team that it's always interesting and I think I'm going to miss that the most. Basically ending my hockey career, it's not really how anyone wanted to do it, but I've gained so much from the team itself … I just had a good time. I think there's a great group of girls left. I'm really excited to watch them play in Canada West and be a part of the alumni group."
