A Good Problem To Have
Three Team Canada female sledge hockey goalies battle it out for top spot between the pipes.
The 2019-2020 Canadian National Women’s Sledge Hockey Team roster has many familiar faces on it. The names speak for themselves when it comes to players such as Team Canada Captain, Christina Picton (Fonthill, Ont.), who this year became the first woman to ever be invited to the Hockey Canada Para Hockey team tryouts. Trailing close behind Picton are the young talents of Alanna Mah (Edmonton, Alta.) and Raphaëlle Tousignant (Terrebonne, Que.) carving their own path as top end players in the sport. Full of experience and composure, the defensive core consisting of Ashley Goure (Chatham, Ont.), Mackenzie Spong (London, Ont.) and Claire Buchanan (Brampton, Ont.) round out a dynamic list of veterans.
However if one scrolls a little bit further down the roster and you will see two new additions joining seasoned netminder, Jessie Gregory (Brantford, Ont.). Team Canada head coach, Tara Chisholm (Medicine Hat, Alta.), was faced with a good problem to have this year when the roster needed to expand to allow three goalies to compete for the top spot. Tracey Arnold (Saskatoon, Sask.) and Devan Doxtator (Font Hill, Ont.) arrived this season ready to push Team Canada to the next level when it came to battling between the posts.
“We really did not know what we were going to do going into selection camp. Being out west we had seen Tracey practice and compete but never at this level. Devan was brand new to the sport but her natural athleticism and tremendously positive attitude was something we could not ignore,” says head coach Chisholm.
This left Chisholm and assistant coach, Derek Whitson (Chatham, Ont.) in a unique position. Do they take three goaltenders for the full season knowing that one may never get to see game time or choose two and allow the third goaltender to develop on their own? The decision was made that Arnold, Doxtator and Gregory would all be rostered to battle it out for the season for the number one and two spots.
“It was a bit of a tricky decision as we know these women are paying their own way to play and the reality is that they may never see their name on a score sheet this season,” Chisholm states. “But now looking at the three of them I am glad we decided to take them all. They’ve built this uniquely quirky relationship between themselves that only goalies could build and are pushing one another to reach for their own personal bests. It’s a really exciting thing to watch.”
For more information on Team Canada please contact info@wphcanada.com.