Cougars Hockey Head to Texas

The Cougar women's hockey team are heading to Texas at the end of the month to compete for the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship.

The Assiniboine Cougars women’s hockey team are headed to The Lone Star State later this month for the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Nationals, which runs March 27 – 31, 2019.

“Communities across Westman will be cheering for the Cougars from 1,800 km away as the team competes for the top spot at this year’s championship,” said Athletics Director Beth Clark. “The team is ready and rarin’ to go, as they say in Texas.”

The Cougars will descend on Frisco, just north of Dallas, Texas, ready for their first game on March 27, where they will face off against the Eastern Region’s #5 ranked Mercyhurst University Lakers at 10:30 a.m.

The Cougars are currently ranked #2 in the West Region, with 18-6-1 in the regular season. The team’s only losses during league were to the #1 ranked Minot State University Beavers.

This is the second consecutive year the team has competed in the ACHA and the second year they have qualified for the national championship.

In addition to the Cougar’s first game against the Mercyhurst University Lakers on March 27, they also have games set against #3 (East) ranked Northeastern University Huskies on the 28^th and the #6 (East) Rowan University on the 29^th.

“The girls have grown so much this season. They understand the systems we run and the principles we believe in: team, respect, and hard work,” said head coach Tony Bertone. “If they bring these three things to the rink and in life, they will be successful and we will do well at nationals.”

“This year's team has a better idea of what to expect at the national championship,” says captain and Assiniboine Practical Nursing student, Mariah McCue. “Many of us experienced it last year and the knowledge gained is shared with new players. We have aggressive forwards and our scoring is more balanced this year. Our defensive corps are mostly veterans backed by a strong goalie so we are more solid this year.”

Supporting the Cougars team this year on the ground in Texas is a student-run production team. Interactive Media Arts (IMA) instructor Murray Oliver and students will be capturing games, athlete interviews, and providing post-game video highlights and recaps for media outlets in Westman.

The IMA production team will also provide game time and behind-the-scenes coverage on the Cougar’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

Games will be livestreamed on the ACHA’s YouTube Channel. Schedules, scores, and more may be found at pointstreaksites.com/view/achanationals.

Women’s DII 2019 National Tournament Schedule

Pool A: 1W, 4E, 6E | Pool B: 2W, 3E, 5E | Pool C: 1E, 4W, 6W | Pool D: 2E, 3W, 5W

CROSSOVERS: 1W v 5E; 4E v 3E; 2W v 6E, 1E v 5W, 4W v 3W, 2E v 6W

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About Cougar Athletics

Cougars teams in men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and futsal (a variation of indoor soccer) compete in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC). The women’s hockey team played their first year in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in 2016-17.

About Assiniboine Community College

Assiniboine Community College has been providing exceptional learning experiences for more than 55 years. For staff and students alike, Assiniboine offers unparalleled learning environments and responds well to the demands and requirements of the Manitoba labour market. Instructors follow the philosophy of “learn by doing,” combining theory with hands-on learning inside classrooms, labs, kitchens, shops, fields and the college’s Sustainable Greenhouse.

Assiniboine offers more than 50 certificate, diploma and post-graduate programs across a variety of disciplines including culinary arts and hospitality, business, agriculture and environment, health and human services, and trades and technology. The college also delivers apprenticeship programming in a range of skilled trades disciplines.

For more information, please contact:

Tony Bertone

Cougars Head Coach

Assiniboine Community College

whockey@assiniboine.net

204.761.9778

Beth Clark

Athletics Manager

Assiniboine Community College

clarkp7379@assiniboine.net

204.573.2996

204.725.8700 ext 6340