MacEwan

Natalie Bender graduated from MacEwan University in 2022 after a five-year career as a Griffins student athlete on the women's hockey team ... The goaltender was named Team MVP in her final season (2021-22) and holds several program records, including for most career shutouts (12), most shutouts in a regular season (6), best save percentage in a season (.970), best GAA in a season (0.66) and many more ... While at MacEwan, she helped the Griffins women's hockey team win two ACAC Championships, was an Academic All Canadian twice, an ACAC all-star in 2017-18 and the Griffins' Most Outstanding player in 2021-22, their first season in Canada West ... Bender was a co-emcee at the 2022 MacEwan Athletics Award Banquet ... She also served in a leadership capacity as President of the MacEwan Student Athlete's Council from 2020-22 after also serving as the council's hockey representative in 2019-20 ... Bender represented MacEwan Athletics on the Canada West Student-Athlete Engagement Committee in 2021-23 and participated in the Canadian University Sport Administration Certificate program – a female leadership development course facilitated by Canada West.