2009-10 NEWS RELEASES

UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release
Monday, April 13, 2009

Ridgebacks women’s hockey land three new recruits

Oshawa, Ont. - University of Ontario Institute and Technology (UOIT) women's hockey head coach Karen Nystrom is excited to announce the addition of a trio of players to the lineup for the 2009-10 season. Jennifer Guenette (Brighton, Ont.), Sarah Worthington (Whitby, Ont.) and Jaclyn Gibson (Cobourg, Ont.) have all committed to play at UOIT next season.

“We are very pleased about adding these three players to our lineup,” commented Nystrom. “The talent that they bring to the team will certainly help us achieve our goals. It is a great start to the recruiting season.”

Jennifer Guenette, a left shooting defenseman, played for the Trinity Varsity Bears of the North American Prep Hockey Association (NAPHA) and Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) for the past five years. Guenette and her team have racked up a number of awards including winning OFSAA Antique Bronze in 2007 and OFSAA Silver in 2008. She won the Brian Proctor Cup for dedication in 2008 and was recently named team captain this past season. Prior to joining the Varsity Bears, Guenette played rep hockey with the Brighton Braves (boys hockey) of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA).
 
“I know Jennifer is going to bring a lot to our blue line and I am looking forward to working with her over her University career,” said Nystrom. “She will be a great addition to the team as she is a gifted player jumping into the rush providing an offensive threat.”

Also joining the Ridgebacks next season will be Whitby native Sarah Worthington. The right shooting forward has recently played with the Whitby Wolves as well as Henry Street High School. Everywhere she has played, Worthington has been a scoring threat. In 2006-07 and 2007-08, she finished second in overall Wolves scoring accumulating 23 goals and 28 assists. With the Hawks, she led the league in scoring and was the team captain. Worthington has also had plenty of success on the provincial stage, playing for the blue line for Team Ontario in 2007, which was coached by Nystrom.

“Worthington has all the credentials to become an elite hockey player in the OUA,” stated Nystrom. “Having coached her with Team Ontario, I know that she can compete with the elite players across the country. Her offensive talent combined with her skating abilities will defiantly be an asset to the team this year.”

Another highly touted forward joining the Ridgebacks next season will be Cobourg native Jaclyn Gibson. Playing with the Peterborough Ice Kats Midget AA team, Gibson has become a consistent scoring threat, picking up 36 goals and 36 assists over the past two seasons. This year, the Ice Kats went on to win the Golden Blades Tournament in Detroit, Michigan. Gibson has also won a number of individual accomplishments playing hockey, as in three of the past five seasons she has won awards including Most Dedicated Player, Most Valuable Player and Most Sportsmanlike Player. At St. Mary’s Secondary School, she won the Junior Girls Athlete of the Year Award.

“The UOIT coaching staff is very excited to bring in a player who has so much experience,” noted Nystrom. “We think that she can make an instant impact for the team as soon as we hit the ice in September.”

All three players have accepted their offer to UOIT for the 2009 fall semester and are eager to hit the ice for the beginning of training camp.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca