Antigonish, NS – Four STFX hockey student-athletes are set to begin competition at the FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, NY this week as members of Team Canada.
X-Women forwards Maggy Burbidge and Lea MacLeod, along with X-Men forwards Liam Hawel and Matthew Struthers were selected as members of their respective U SPORTS all-star teams for the Games.
Lea MacLeod, a fifth year business student from Dartmouth, N.S., notes, "I am super excited to have the opportunity to represent Canada. I can't wait to meet new athletes and play with girls across the country. It's awesome to be able to share this experience with Maggy, and we will hopefully bring back the gold to STFX."
Likewise, second year business student Matthew Struthers, a native of Milton, Ont. stated that he is very excited to be chosen to represent Team Canada. "I was fortunate enough to win a gold medal at the U-17 Challenge, and I am hoping to replicate that success here at the FISU Games. I am looking forward to representing not only Canada but STFX as well. It should be a great experience and I can't wait to get started with the first game."
The first competition will take place on Wednesday with the Canadian women's hockey team opening its tournament against Slovakia at 9:00 pm AST. The Canadian men's team will open up against Ukraine on Thursday, January 12 at 1:00 pm AST. The opening ceremony will also be held on January 12.
Both teams will compete in five round robin games, taking them through until January 18, then semifinals and championship games will follow. The women's gold medal game is slated for January 21 at 9:30 pm AST with the men's gold medal game taking place the following day, January 22 at 6:00 pm AST. The complete men's and women's schedules can be found at the following link.
Lea MacLeod is a 5'6" forward and alternate captain with STFX X-Women, in her fourth season of eligibility. The 2022 AUS second team all-star is currently tied for second in the country in scoring with 24 points, including 9 goals and 15 assists. She previously played with King's-Edgehill School in Windsor, N.S. in the Canadian High School Hockey League CAHS prior to coming to STFX.
Maggy Burbidge is third year Arts student from Falmouth, N.S. who currently leads the country in scoring with 37 points, including 20 goals and 17 assists, with her 20 goals scored tops in U SPORTS. The 5'4" forward was a 2022 AUS first team all-star and the X-Women's team MVP. She also leads the nation in plus/minus (+24), shots (132), PPG (6), SHG (3) and is second in assists (17). She previously played at Robert Morris University in NCAA in 2019-20 and 2020-21 and transferred to STFX after Robert Morris program unexpectedly folded. Burbidge also competed with the Nepean Wildcats of the Provincial Women's Hockey League (PWHL) in 2018-19.
Burbidge comments, "It is an honor to represent my country and to play alongside a teammate and good friend as well as alongside the best in Canada. I am thrilled to represent STFX as they have provided me with opportunity to learn and better myself as a hockey player, student, and person. I hope we will be able to bring home a gold medal on the 22nd!"
MacLeod and Burbidge join fellow AUS athletes forward Shae Demale from Saint Mary's, defence Jenna MacLean and Goaltender Kendra Woodland from UNB, along with UNB head coach Sarah Hilworth who will serve as an assistant coach for the FGISU Games and UNB's goalie/video coach Kyle MacDonald.
On the Canadian men's team, Liam Hawel and Matthew Struthers are amongst a strong contingent of 10 AUS student-athletes including UNB's Brady Gilmour (F), Austen Keating (F) and Adam McCormick (D), Saint Mary's Andrew Coxhead (F), Matt Welsh (F) and Justin MacPherson (D), and UPEI's TJ Shea (F) and Matthew Brassard (D). UNB Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall will be the head coach for the FISU squad, while Reds athletic therapist Ryan Sweeney also joins the team.
X-Men Hockey alumnus Patrick Grandmaitre, the current head coach of Ottawa is an asistant coach with Canada for the Games. Grandmaitre was a former captain of the X-Men and a member of thier 2004 national championship team.
Liam Hawel is a second year business student from Arnprior, Ont. and an alternate captain with the X-Men. He had a breakout first season last year, garnering honours as the 2022 U SPORTS and AUS rookie of the year, along with being named a first team all-Canadian and U SPORTS all-rookie. The 6'4", 195 pound forward is one point off the lead in U SPORTS scoring with 29 points, including 12 goals and 17 assists. As a rookie last year he was third overall in the country with 37 points (18G, 19A) and led the AUS conference in points, goals and assists.
The 2021-22 STFX male athlete of the year played five years in the OHL, winning an OHL championship with the Guelph Storm in 2019. Hawel was a fourth-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2017 NHL draft and played the 2020-21 season with the AHL's Laval Rocket. He has previous experience playing for Team Canada as a member of the 2016-17 U18 national team who competed in the IIHF U18 World Championships in Slovakia.
Hawel notes that, "I am super excited to be selected for this tournament, as last year I was really looking forward to it and it got canceled last minute. It will be great to spend two weeks with the best players in U SPORTS across the country who we typically battle against, and to also play and compete against players from all over the world."
Matthew Struthers is an alternate captain with the X-Men this season who is currently is eighth in the country in scoring heading into the holiday break with 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists) and is second overall in the AUS. The 6'2", 205 pound forward was a 2022 U SPORTS second team all-Canadian, AUS first team all-star and AUS all-rookie. In 2021-22, he was fourth overall in U SPORTS scoring with 30 points (12G, 18A) and was first in the nation in shots (96). Struthers played five seasons in the OHL with Owen Sound and North Bay prior to coming to X, and also played nine games in 2020-21 with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL and five games in 2018-19 with Laval. He too has donned the red and white as a member of the Canada White U17 team, competing in the 2015-16 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
All the men's and women's preliminary games will be broadcast live online at FISU TV, with the four semifinal and two gold medal games being broadcast online at TSN.
TEAM CANADA – WOMEN'S SCHEDULE (all times AST)
Jan. 11 (9:00 pm): Canada vs. Slovakia
Jan. 14 (5:30 pm): Canada vs. Czechia
Jan. 15 (5:30 pm): Canada vs. Japan
Jan. 17 (5:30 pm): Canada vs. Great Britain
Jan. 18 (9:00 pm): Canada vs. USA
Jan. 20: Semi-finals
Jan. 21: Finals
TEAM CANADA – MEN'S SCHEDULE (all times AST)
Jan. 12 (2:00 pm): Canada vs. Ukraine
Jan. 13 (2:00 pm): Canada vs. Sweden
Jan. 15 (10:30 am): Canada vs. Japan
Jan. 17 (2:00 pm): Canada vs. Latvia
Jan. 18 (5:30 pm): Canada vs. Czechia
Jan. 21: Semi-finals
Jan. 22: Finals
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Courtesy Krista McKenna, STFX Athletics Communications