Chomiak’s player of the year nod headlines seven combined awards for division-leading squads

Burlington, Ont. – After topping their respective divisions in the regular season, both the Nipissing Lakers and Guelph Gryphons are rewarded with a bevy of individual hardware. Combining to take home seven awards, the teams’ accomplishments spanned every position on the ice and even extending behind the bench, with Katie Chomiak’s player of the year selection headlining those award winners and all-stars from the 2023-24 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s hockey season.

Player of the Year & Forward of the Year – Katie Chomiak, Nipissing

Katie Chomiak was a player on a mission this year, and she has the offensive numbers to prove it, en route to being named the OUA’s player of the year.

The third-year forward scored in her first game of the season, which was a sign of things to come, going on to register two multi-point games in her next three outings. She had seven multi-point games overall, headlined by a four-point game – three goals and an assist – in a 4-1 Nipissing win over Toronto late in the fall semester. Not only was she a potent point producer, but a consistent one as well, featuring an eight-game point streak during the season and being held off the scoresheet in just 11 of her 28 games overall.

En route to her more than a point-per-game pace, the nursing student from Sudbury, Ont. led the OUA in both goals and points, bulging the twine 16 times while adding 14 helpers for a 30-point campaign.

The former all-rookie selection, who was also named the forward of the year, now becomes the first player in Nipissing program history to be crowned player of the year, while joining Maria Dominico just two seasons ago as the lone Lakers to be recognized as the former.

Defender of the Year – Kara Den Hoed, Nipissing

A force on both ends of the ice, Kara Den Hoed did just about anything and everything for the Nipissing squad this season, and is rewarded with the conference’s top rearguard recognition.

The first team all-star, her first such accolade during her three years in the OUA, was a key cog in the prolific Laker offence, despite setting up camp at the blue line. The Fergus, Ont. local was a leader among her defensive counterparts across the league with six goals and 15 points on the season. Two of those tallies came on the powerplay, shining on special teams as well as five-on-five, and her tally total set the single season goals record for Nipissing women’s hockey.

Den Hoed finished tied for third in the OUA in points by a defender, and follows in the footsteps of Zosia Davis (2017-18) as the program’s lone defender of the year honourees.

Goaltender of the Year – Martina Fedel, Guelph

There was simply no beating Martina Fedel this year, as her stingy regular season marks made her the conference’s top netminder in 2023-24.

Suiting up for 19 of her team’s games this season, the Guelph Gryphons goalie was sharp from puck drop to the final horn night in and night out. She came out on the winning end of 15 of those games and surrendered just 20 goals total, good for a microscopic 1.03 goals-against average on the year. In addition to leading the OUA therein, she also paced the provincial pack with a tidy .951 save percentage, with the next closest netminder checking in at a 1.39 GAA and .929 SV%.

In five of her outings this season, the Trento, Italy native studying animal biology posted a shutout, the second highest mark in the OUA, and just one behind the leader in seven fewer games. Her most impressive stretch came when she posted three straight goose eggs from November 4 to November 11, turning away a combined 65 shots during that iconic three-game stretch.

The third-year puck stopper joins Valerie Lamenta as Gryphon recipients of the goaltender of the year nod and becomes the first Guelph goalie to do so since 2018-19.

Rookie of the Year – Abby Lunney, Nipissing

It was a debut to remember for Abby Lunney, as she kicks off her varsity career with an award-winning campaign for the Nipissing Lakers.

Not only was Lunney a lynchpin in the high-octane Lakers lineup, but she did so in her first season on the varsity ice. She was quick to find her footing, netting a goal in her first game of the year against Toronto, and did the same in her next two outings as well. She would finish the year on a high note as well, capping off her 28-game rookie campaign with a two-point outing against Ontario Tech on February 17.

When the dust settled on her regular season, the Holland Landing, Ont. local wasn’t only fourth on her team with 23 points, she was also seventh in the entire conference therein and sixth in the OUA with her 12 goals scored.

Lunney becomes just the second Nipissing player to receive the honour, joining Malory Dominico in 2019-20.

Coach of the Year – Katie Mora, Guelph

A powerhouse from Game 1 to Game 28, the Guelph Gryphons were seemingly in a class of their own throughout the regular season, with Katie Mora making her mark behind the bench.

Mora, who was named the interim head coach for Guelph in October following the announcement of Rachel Flanagan pursuing a coaching opportunity in the PWHL, led the Gryphons to an OUA-best 68 points this year, picking up 23 wins to just five losses (three in regulation). Her West Division winning side scored the fourth-most goals in the OUA with 77, while surrendering just 35, good for the lowest mark in the conference by a six-goal margin.

Mora’s management also led to some mastery on special teams, as Guelph sat second in powerplay goals (18) and percentage (15.9), while doing the same shorthanded, killing off 91.6% of their penalties this season. Beyond the team success, Mora also saw three of her players earn OUA recognition, including a pair of first team all-stars – Fedel and Hannah Tait – and an all-rookie selection in Reese Coffey.

The long-time associate coach and former team captain with the Gryphons becomes just the fourth Gryphons bench boss to earn the honour, doing so on the heels of five such nods for Flanagan, who most recently earned the honour for Guelph in 2018-19.

Marion Hilliard Award – Emily Baxter, TMU

Captain of the TMU Bold this season, Emily Baxter was a leader in many ways, as evidenced by her selection as the Marion Hilliard Award recipient.

On the ice, Baxter tied a TMU single-season record with 23 points, good for a tie for seventh in the OUA. Her 14 goals were also third best in the conference this year, and when it came to special teams contributions, she was the league-leader in both powerplay and shorthanded tallies.

Off the ice, Baxter is an award-winning scholar, having earned TMU’s Claude LaJeunesse Award for highest GPA among all Bold student-athletes in each of the last two seasons. She’s a graduate of the biomedical sciences program and is currently pursuing her Masters of biomedical engineering.

Within the community, the forward from Oakville, Ont. lends her time to several athletic-related initiatives, including Hockey 4 Youth, a program that teaches high school aged immigrants how to skate and learn the game4 of hockey to help with their transition to life in Canada. She also volunteers with Let’s Talk Science, where she lends her time sharing the science of sport with high school students from across the Greater Toronto Area.

Finally, Baxter is also a leading driver of TMU’s Do It For Daron annual campaign to help raise awareness and funds for youth mental health initiatives.

Champion of EDI Award – Sam Keane, Ontario Tech

Setting an example for all, Sam Keane has been named the Champion of EDI Award recipient for the 2023-24 season.

Keane, who was born with Stage Two Spastic Triplegia, joined the Ridgebacks women’s hockey team in 2017 and has worked alongside many players, trainers, and coaches during his time with Ontario Tech. Throughout his tenure, Keane has worked 140 regular season games, in addition to pre-season and post-season outings, and has consistently brought great passion, dedication, and joy to the team.

For seven years, Keane has been the head equipment manager for Ontario Tech’s squad, and has gained the respect of everyone in the hockey community. He has been a leader on and off the ice, and is serving as a role model to young kids with a disability. Keane, who has proven doubters wrong since being told he was going to die shortly after birth and was never going to walk, has also taught the Ridgeback community about inclusion and how not to judge a book by its cover. 

True Sport Award – Hannah Tait, Guelph

Hannah Tait was one of the most productive players on the ice across the conference this season, but more than just the numbers she put up, she was also among those most respectful and respected.

The Guelph captain was at the centre of a successful season for the Gryphons, with the first team all-star forward collecting 15 goals (2nd in OUA) and 25 points (6th in OUA). Her three markers on the powerplay also ranked in the conference’s top-five, as did her four game-winning goals.

But beyond being productive, clutch, and an integral piece to Guelph’s statistical success, Tait also epitomized the True Sport approach every time she took the ice, helping her become the third Gryphons player to take home the True Sport Award.

The complete list of 2023-24 OUA women’s hockey award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Player of the Year – Katie Chomiak, Nipissing
Forward of the Year – Katie Chomiak, Nipissing
Defender of the Year – Kara Den Hoed, Nipissing
Goaltender of the Year – Martina Fedel, Guelph
Rookie of the Year – Abby Lunney, Nipissing
Coach of the Year – Katie Mora, Guelph
Marion Hilliard Award – Emily Baxter, TMU
Champion of EDI Award – Sam Keane, Ontario Tech
True Sport Award – Hannah Tait, Guelph

First Team All-Stars

F – Katie Chomiak, Nipissing
F – Hannah Tait, Guelph
F – Leah Herrfort, Waterloo
D – Kara Den Hoed, Nipissing
D – Megan Breen, TMU
G – Martina Fedel, Guelph

Second Team All-Stars

F – Taylor Trussler, Toronto
F – Maggie McKee, Nipissing
F – Emily Baxter, TMU
D – Sarah Campbell, Queen’s
D – Maddy Walsh, Brock
G – Erica Fryer, Toronto

All-Rookie Team

F – Abby Lunney, Nipissing
F – Mikayla Cranney, Queen’s
F – Taylor Delahey, Toronto
D – Reese Coffey, Guelph
D – Faith Mitchell, Waterloo
G – Emma Tennant, Queen’s