With an impactful offence and an effective defence, the Northern Selects remain a force to be reckoned with.

The Selects are back at the Esso Cup for a third consecutive year, looking to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish. In Prince Albert, the Selects went 2-3 in the preliminary round before being blanked 3-0 by the eventual national champion Stoney Creek Sabres in the semifinals and falling 5-1 to the Regina Rebels in the bronze medal game.

Seven players return to Canada’s Women’s U18 National Club Championship, including 15-year-old Kendall Doiron. The 2023 Esso Cup most sportsmanlike player led the Selects with 64 points (34-30—64) in 32 regular-season games, building on her strong 2022-23 (18-13—34 in 24 games).

Northern may have the most offensively talented roster of its three-year run. Doiron, Hali-Rose MacLean and Brooke Williams finished two-three-four in Maritime Major Female Hockey League (MMFHL), with Aylee Glenn coming eighth . In comparison, the Selects had two players in the top 10 last year and three during the 2021-22 season.

The Selects dropped only two games during the regular season, partially thanks to the fantastic goaltending duo of Jorja Burrows and Madeleine Kerr. This will be the third Esso Cup appearance for Burrows, who had a 17-2 record in the regular season along with a 1.15 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and five shutouts. The 17-year-old also represented Team Atlantic at the Women’s U18 National Championship last November alongside Team Canada netminder Rhyah Stewart. Kerr is a Selects rookie, but still made a large impact in the crease. She had a 12-0 record, 0.92 GAA, .947 save percentage and four shutouts during the regular season.

The Selects are looking to become the first Atlantic representatives to win hardware at the Esso Cup.

HOW THEY GOT TO VERNON

Maritime Major Female Hockey League
Nova Scotia semifinal: defeated Cape Breton Lynx 3-0 (12-1, 7-0, 6-0)
Nova Scotia final: defeated Dartmouth Penguins 3-1 (2-3, 2-1, 5-0, 4-1)

Atlantic Regional
Preliminary round: 3-0-1 – 2nd place (defeated Tri-Pen Ice 6-0, defeated Western Warriors 10-2, lost to Eastern Stars 1-0, defeated Western Flames 4-0)
Championship: defeated Eastern Stars 5-2

REGULAR SEASON

Record (W-L-T): 28-2-1 (1st in MMFHL)
Goals for: 173 (1st in MMFHL)
Goals against: 35 (1st in MMFHL)
Longest winning streak: 19 (Sept. 23-Dec. 16)

Top 3 scorers:
- Kendall Doiron – 34G 30A 64P (2nd in MMFHL)
- Hali-Rose MacLean – 33G 22A 55P (3rd in MMFHL)
- Brooke Williams – 21G 24A 45P (4th in MMFHL)

PLAYOFFS

Record: 10-2
Goals for: 64
Goals against: 10

Top 3 scorers:
- Kendall Doiron – 14G 7A 21P
- Hali-Rose MacLean – 11G 9A 20P
- Laci Boyd – 6G 14A 20P

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2023 – Northern Selects | 4th place | 2-3 | 13GF 19GA
2022 – Northern Selects | 4th place | 2-3 | 14GF 12GA
2018 – Northern Selects | 5th place | 1-4 | 12GF 19GA

UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

Jorja Burrows – St. Francis Xavier University