By Rossy Pasternak
Grab your winter coats and hand warmers, because hockey is back in the OUA!
While you’re keeping warm in the chilly arenas around the province, PRSVRE has you covered on the players to watch out for this coming season. Rosters are slowly being released and the teams are taking shape, so we ranked two of the players on both the men’s and women’s side that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
But first, a look at those who just missed the list.
Honourable Mentions
As with any list like this, there are many who narrowly missed the cut – but we’re still excited to see what they can do on the ice this year. Here are the honourable mentions:
Women’s
Krystin Lawrence (Forward, Waterloo)
Erika Crouse (Forward, Ryerson)
Megan Johnston (Forward, Ontario Tech)
Maria Dominico (Forward, Nipissing)
Taylor Davidson (Defence, York)
Erica Fryer (Goalie, Toronto)
Men’s
Matthew Santos (Forward, Ryerson)
Franco Sproviero (Forward, Western)
Kevin Domingue (Forward, Ottawa)
Jordan Sambrook (Defence, Brock)
Cole Cameron (Defence, Guelph)
Luke Peressini (Goalie, Ryerson)
Now to the list itself.
F2. Gabrielle De Serres
Position: Defence
School: University of Toronto
Accolades: 2017-18 OUA and U SPORTS all-rookie teams; 2019-20 OUA second team all-star
Going into her fourth year playing at U of T, De Serres has been one of the more offensively threatening blueliners in the league since day one. The former RSEQ first team all-star ranked third among OUA defencemen with 10 assists in her rookie season (2017-18), and was named a member of both the OUA and U SPORTS all-rookie teams.
Most recently, De Serres led all OUA defencemen with 21 points in 2019-20, including a career high 8 goals in 24 games, helping the Varsity Blues hoist the McCaw Cup. The 5-foot-7, right-handed shot will be hoping to repeat with her team in 2021-22.
F1. Natalie Wozney
Position: Forward
School: Ontario Tech University
Accolades: 2019-20: OUA first team all-star; OUA Academic Achievement Award; U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian
The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks may not have a McCaw Cup to their name, but last time out that had more to do with their inability to keep the puck out of their net than anything else. The Ridgebacks however were right in the middle of the pack in goals for, ranking seventh with 51 goals in 24 games.
Having played the two seasons prior in the NCAA at St. Lawrence University, Wozney quickly found her game in the OUA, scoring at a nearly point-per-game pace (23 points in 24 games), including five multi-point games and four game-winning goals. That point total was good for third in the conference - behind only two Waterloo veterans in Taytum Clairmont and Krystin Lawrence.
Add to that an 8-3 record once the calendar flipped to 2020, fellow forward Megan Johnston having a breakout 21-point campaign, and a teammate in Nicolle Escano who was named to the OUA all-rookie team, there are encouraging signs that things are looking up for Wozney and the Ridgebacks.
M2. Jonathan Yantsis
Position: Forward
School: Queen’s University
Accolades: Don Cameron Award (50 goals in an OHL season)
On the men’s side, the Queen’s roster is loaded with recruits from the CHL, led by former Kitchener Ranger Jonathan Yantsis, who also attended camp with the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 2019. The 6-foot-3, 212lb. winger is a force around the net, and has the soft hands necessary to finish in close quarters, making his mark around the blue crease in the OHL. He was so productive there that he became just the 15th player in the storied franchises’ history to reach the 50-goal mark in 2018-19, including a league-leading 24 with the man-advantage. That power play prowess will be especially helpful to a Queen’s squad that only managed 12 goals with the extra man last time out in 2019-20, second worst in the OUA.
The 2018-19 champions will be hoping that Yantsis makes them more competitive than their 12-15-1 conference record, and first round playoff exit, two seasons ago.
M1. David Thomson
Position: Forward
School: University of Toronto
Accolades: 2019-20: OUA West division MVP; OUA West first team all-star; U Sports first team all-Canadian; U of T T-Holders male athlete of the year; OUA male athlete of the year
Thomson should be a name that OUA hockey followers are well aware of by now. The skilled forward burst onto the scene with a 25-point rookie season in 2018-19, leading the Blues. The 6-foot tall forward then followed that up with a 40-point sophomore season, and was named the OUA West division MVP, among other accolades.
Thomson has also represented Canada on the international stage, scoring four goals and adding two assists en route to a bronze medal at the 2019 FISU Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia., an international multi-sport event for student athletes.
What he does to follow that up his last OUA season something everyone should be keeping an eye out for this year, and will be a key factor to how competitive U of T can be this year.
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