Alberta Pandas ice hockey

The Alberta Pandas ice hockey team represents the University of Alberta in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association of U Sports. Since joining U Sports (then called the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union, followed by Canadian Interuniversity Sport in 2001) in 1997, the women's ice hockey team has been led by head coach Howie Draper. The program has won the most Canada West conference championships with 14 and the most U Sports national championships with eight.[1]

Alberta Pandas ice hockey
University	University of Alberta
Conference	Canada West
Head coach	Howie Draper 23rd season, 392–99–7
Arena	Clare Drake Arena Capacity: 3000
Location	Edmonton, Alberta
Colors	Green, Gold, and White
U Sports Tournament championships
2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017
Conference Tournament championships
1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020

On January 25, 2011, it was announced that the 1999-2000 University of Alberta Pandas hockey team would be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.[2]

Early years

In the era of the First World War, the University of Alberta formed men's ice hockey and women's ice hockey teams. The women's team played many community based teams. The University of Alberta played the Edmonton Monarchs in the Monarchs first ever game in 1918.[3] The city of Edmonton would organize women's ice hockey into three divisions in 1930: junior, intermediate and senior. The Edmonton Monarchs and the University of Alberta were the only teams that comprised the senior division.[4] In that same year, the University of Alberta would challenge the Edmonton Monarchs for the Alpine Cup. The Monarchs prevailed by a 1–0 score. By 1934, the University of Alberta was demoted to the intermediate division. In 1937, the University of Alberta competed for the Alpine Cup, contested at the Banff Winter Carnival. The club lost to the Calgary Avenue Grills team.[5]

U Sports

On March 14, 2004, the Pandas won their third consecutive National Championship and their fourth in five years. The Pandas became the first team to win three consecutive championships which remains unmatched as of 2020.[6] The win came courtesy of a 2-0 tally over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. For the season, the Pandas went 20-0-0 in Canada West play, 7–0 in the postseason, and a 35-0-0 overall mark.[7] U Sports Player of the Year Danielle Bourgeois scored both goals in the game[8] as Alberta outshot Ottawa 45-14 overall. The game-winning goal was assisted by Canadian national team member Delaney Collins. With the triumph, the Pandas ran their undefeated streak against U Sports opponents to 81 games. During the streak, their last loss to a U Sports team was on Oct. 13, 2001.[9]

On March 14, 2010, the Pandas won the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship which was their seventh title in the 13 years since the tournament's inception. In the gold medal game, they defeated the McGill Martlets by a score of 2–0.[10] While the program did not have as much of a dominant national run in the next decade, the team managed to claim their eighth national championship in 2017 after once again defeating the Martlets in double overtime by a score of 2–1.[11] It was also the first time that the Pandas had won the National championship while not winning their conference championship in the same year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and financial reasons, the University of Alberta announced that the Pandas would not participate in the 2020–21 season, if one were to be held.[12]

Year by year

National Tournament champions

Conference Champions

Season	Coach	Conf. Record	Overall	Standings	Postseason
1997-98	Howie Draper	None	3-1-0	Does not apply	Fifth, CIAU tournament
1998-99	Howie Draper	4-1-1	20-8-3	First	Second, CIAU tournament
1999-00	Howie Draper	15-1-1	26-3-1	First	CIAU tournament champions
2000-01	Howie Draper	13-1-2	20-6-2	Second	Did not qualify
2001-02	Howie Draper	16-0-0	33-1-0	First	CIS tournament champions
2002-03	Howie Draper	19-0-1	34-0-1	First	CIS tournament champions
2003-04	Howie Draper	20-0-0	35-0-0	First	CIS tournament champions
2004-05	Howie Draper	20-0-0	28-1-0	First	Second, CIS tournament
2005-06	Howie Draper	16-1-3	27-3-3	First	CIS tournament champions
2006-07	Howie Draper	21-3	33-4-1	First	CIS tournament champions
2007-08	Howie Draper	21-2-1	29-5-1	First	Fourth, CIS tournament
2008-09	Howie Draper	22-2	26-5	Second	Did not qualify
2009-10	Howie Draper	23-1-0	33-1	First	CIS tournament champions
2010-11	Howie Draper	17-7	25-14	Second	Fifth, CIS tournament
2011-12	Howie Draper	14-10	23-16	Second	Fifth, CIS tournament
2012-13	Howie Draper	16-12	25-16	Third	Did not qualify
2013-14	Howie Draper	20-8	23-11	Third	Did not qualify
2014-15	Howie Draper	20-8	28-14	First	Eighth, CIS tournament
2015-16	Howie Draper	16-12	21-14	Third	Did not qualify
2016-17	Howie Draper	21-7	36-9	Second	U Sports tournament champions
2017-18	Howie Draper	19-9	27-12	Third	Did not qualify
2018-19	Howie Draper	23-5	33-7	First	Fourth, U Sports tournament
2019-20	Howie Draper	20-8	28-10	First	Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[13]
2020-21	Cancelled due financial reasons caused by the COVID-19 pandemic[12]

Olympians

Player	Event	Result
Judy Diduck [14]	Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics	Silver

Pandas selected in the CWHL Draft

The following were selected in the 2010 CWHL Draft.[15]

Player	Position	Team	Selection
Delaney Collins	Defense	Brampton Thunder	#5

Awards and honours

U Sports honours

• Brodrick Trophy (U Sports Most Valuable Player): Lori Shupak (2002), Danielle Bourgeois (2004, 2005), Lindsay McAlpine (2007), Tarin Podloski (2009), Alex Poznikoff (2019)
• U Sports Rookie of the Year: Danielle Bourgeois (2000), Madison Willan (2020)
• Marion Hillard Award (Student-Athlete Community Service): Taryn Barry (2007), Janelle Froehler (2016)
• Fox 40 U Sports Coach of the Year award: Howie Draper (2002, 2004, 2009, 2019)

U Sports Tournament honours

• U Sports Championship Most Valuable Player: Danielle Bourgeois (2002, 2004), Tarin Podloski (2006), Lindsay McAlpine (2007), Stephanie Ramsay (2010), Lindsey Post (2017)

International

Player	Event	Result
Andrea Boras[16]	2011 Winter Universiade	Gold

References

1. "Pandas Hockey, Team History". Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
2. "99-00 hockey Pandas inducted into Hall of Fame". University of Alberta. January 25, 2011.
3. Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada, Wayne Norton, p.136, Ronsdale Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55380-073-6
4. Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada, Wayne Norton, p.140, Ronsdale Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55380-073-6
5. Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada, Wayne Norton, p.140, Ronsdale Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55380-073-6
6. "History, Golden Path Trophy". U Sports. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
7. http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/expressnews_template/article.cfm?id=5647%5B%5D
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-06-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-06-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "FINAL: CIS championship: Pandas put an end to Martlets 86-game winning streak with a 2-0 win". Canadian Interuniversity Sport. March 14, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
11. "Kezama double OT winner gives Alberta 8th Golden Path National Championship". U Sports. March 19, 2017.
12. "Golden Bears and Pandas 2020-21 Season Update". University of Alberta. June 17, 2020.
13. "U Sports hockey championships cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak". Sportsnet. March 12, 2020.
14. "Judy Diduck Player Profile". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2011-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2011-07-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Official website