2024-25 Women's Hockey Season Preview

With a fresh roster brimming with young talent, the Dalhousie Tigers are eager to build upon last year's playoff appearance.

The Tigers previous season ended in an AUS quarter-final loss to the Saint Mary's Huskies, where they were unable to find the back of the net. This year, they welcome a wave of new players, with only seven returning from last season, generating excitement for a revamped team.

“It’s going to take us a little bit of time to figure out how it all fits together,” says head coach Keifer House. “We're seeing chemistry building between players, and we're still tinkering around with line combinations, but generally speaking, it's been positive.”

House enters his first full season as the head coach of the Tigers after taking over as interim coach in the midst of last season. The Dal legend’s career as a skater is known for his lethal goal-scoring, sitting fifth in all-time goals for the men’s team.

“I think we're going to be more skilled from top to bottom, which I think is going to be something that we need to rely on,” says House.

“We want to use our speed and let our forecheck do the work for us and try to limit team’s opportunities by making sure that we're responsible and putting lots of pressure on the puck when we're trying to win it back.”

The spotlight this season falls on third-year goaltender Grace Beer, who earned AUS first team all-star honours last season.

"She was undoubtedly our MVP last year," says House. "Her presence in the crease instills confidence and energy in the entire team."

Beer, a recreation major, boasted an impressive .938 save percentage in her second AUS season, ranking fifth in the nation for saves (634).

Returning to the Tigers is blueliner Gabrielle Noordijk, who finished fifth in team scoring last season with 12 points. She'll be joined by key returning players Emma Bishop, Natasha Falk, Mackenzie Drake, Emma Penner, and Lexie Small.

“The grit and competitiveness they play with will be crucial along with their leadership,” says House.

Additionally, the Tigers are deploying two transfers: Leah MacSween, who played for Cornell University in the NCAA, and Emma Robertson, who transferred from Trinity College of the NCAA III.

Dalhousie kicks off the season on October 4th at 7 pm, hosting the defending champion UNB Reds at the Halifax Forum.