Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – A diverse group of graduating seniors who all share a hand in developing the MacEwan Griffins into the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference powerhouse that the program is today will be honoured before their final regular season home game this Saturday.
Forwards Morgan Casson, Shyla Jans, Jordyn Reimer and Karlie Bell, and defencemen Carley Jewell and Kennedy Davidson have each played their own important role in helping the Griffins with the last three ACAC Championships.
"This group shaped the current culture we have in our program," said head coach Lindsay McAlpine. "It's a large number of them all contributing very different things, but all on the exact same page when we need them to be. They're great players on the ice, but what they've contributed off the ice has a larger impact on the entire Griffins program."
Casson left an indelible mark over her career with strong two-way play and unforgettable clutch goals – most notably the overtime championship-clinching tallies in both 2017 and 2019. She was named the ACAC playoff MVP in MacEwan's first title-run in 2017.
"Any of the championships we won would be my favourite," Casson said of the memories she'll look back on. "You dream about winning championships your whole life.
"It's going to be a very emotional night," she added of Senior Day. "I think the main thing is just take it in and enjoy it and be very present in the moment."
The Griffins will honour the six seniors in a pre-game ceremony before they take on the Red Deer College Queens (Saturday, 6 p.m., Downtown Community Arena). The teams will meet in the rematch on Sunday (1 p.m. in Red Deer), which is MacEwan's final regular season game. They've already locked up first place in the standings.
Casson will also leave a legacy of leadership, not only on the ice, but in the community.
"Morgan exemplifies all of our identity pieces in what it means to be a Griff," said McAlpine. "Her work ethic, the intensity she brings to each game, her desire to win, how she represents us in the community, she's a true leader for us and someone who will be greatly missed."
Jans will leave as both the program's regular season career points and goals leader – totals which currently sit at 73 and 38, respectively. She was named to the ACAC second all-star team twice in her career (2016 and 2017).
"Shyla is an offensive beast – someone we regularly look to when in need of a goal, and has been since the outset of her career," said McAlpine. "I keep repeating this about these six graduates, but she again is a team girl through and through. Janny is the first to get on the ice every single day and she's the last to leave. For five straight seasons, she has picked up pucks at the end of every warm up. Small detail I know, but it's those little things that make our day to day function so smoothly."
Shyla Jans has 38 career ACAC regular season goals, tops in program history. The production has come because of her intense dedication to her craft - always the first on the ice and last to leave (Joel Kingston photo).
Reimer, who watched her older sister Nikki graduate from the program a year ago, is leaving her own mark on the program with solid production in her final season, currently with five goals and 12 points in 20 games. She enters the final weekend of the 2019-20 season as the program leader in career regular season games played with 115 to her credit. Jans is next among active leaders with 114.
"Jordyn's a workhorse, and she plays a hard, gritty style of hockey," said McAlpine. "Jords plays her best hockey when the pressure is on, as she thrives in the emotionally charged environment. Her daily intensity and passion is something our group is going to struggle to replace."
Jordyn Reimer has played more career regular season games (115) than anyone in program history (Joel Kingston photo).
Bell has always brought solid two-way play throughout her career, highlighted by her strong, tenacious work on the penalty kill. In the classroom as she's completed studies to become an accountant, Bell has regularly held the highest GPA on the Griffins.
"Bell is a coach's dream," said McAlpine. "Over the course of five years I've had with her, I can't think of one frustrating moment or conflict or situation where she did not put the team first. She is the most natural team player in our program, and someone that sets the bar for everyone in terms of academic success and dedication to every area of varsity athletics.
"I look forward to watching Karlie's continued success in anything she pursues."
Karlie Bell has set an example with her team-first attitude on and off the ice, while excelling in the classroom (Joel Kingston photo).
Jewell was named ACAC player of the year and a first team all-star in 2018. Her ability to drive offence from the blueline has caused the opposition fits over the last five years.
"She is an impact player, who has been a big part of shaping the success of our D core," said McAlpine. "Jewell is a very offensive defenceman who plays with high emotion and can be someone who rubs players on other teams the wrong way; I think that adds to her spark and what she's contributed over her five years.
"Her stats speak for themselves in terms of the on ice success, but Jewell is also a strong leader academically, with hopes to pursue a career in the medical field."
The ACAC's most valuable player in 2018, Carley Jewell continues to display top-level play on both the defensive and offensive ends of the ice (Joel Kingston photo).
Davidson has provided steady defensive play, while setting an example of what it means to be a Griff in the community. She had helped her family make a difference through the Hockey Hearts Orphanage in Tanzania and has kick-started a pre-season weekend in her hometown of Fox Creek to give back to kids.
"Ken and I have taken some time to build the relationship we currently have," said McAlpine. "At the outset, she tested the waters a lot, struggled a bit academically, and took some time to find herself a role. Through these five years of individual growth, Ken has become a powerful leader, solid stay at home defenceman, someone who excels in the classroom, and an ambassador in the community.
"It is through players like Ken I am reminded of how special this age group is that I get to work with daily."
A strong defender, Kennedy Davidson will leave a legacy with the program that also extends off the ice through her leadership in helping others in the community (Joel Kingston photo).
And so, the Griffins will finish off the regular season this weekend honouring their six seniors, while they aim for a fourth-straight title together in the weeks to come before they head to the Canada West conference next fall.
"It's a powerful group of six no doubt, and one that was so instrumental in our on and off ice successes as a program, but also daunting knowing they will not be there when we embark on our next challenge with Canada West," summed up McAlpine. "These six will be remembered for so many things, and it's fitting they will go down in history as our last graduating group in our team's history in the ACAC."
