It’s NAIT Ooks hockey season again, FINALLY!

The NAIT Ooks are back and getting fired up for another season!

Last season didn’t end exactly the way they planned, with winning the league but getting swept 0 – 3 in the finals, so they’re training hard for the season ahead! The Ooks lost six players from last season, but have a couple more bodies this year and the roster is looking a little more filled out with 11 rookies joining this season! This past month they’ve played a handful of exhibition games and are looking strong heading into the regular season.

The Rookies

With 11 new faces on the team, let’s meet some of the rookies!

We’re introducing Treasure Posch (#3), Olivia Davis (#1), Cassidy Shandro (#27), and Hannah Piket (#24).

Treasure Posch is a 20-year-old defense who is taking Academic Upgrading. She is from Leduc, A.B. and played female Junior A last year for the Edmonton Wolves.

Olivia (Liv) Davis is a 19-year-old goalie who is taking Academic Upgrading and Personal Fitness Training. She is from Qualicum Beach, B.C. and didn’t play last year but played female midget AAA the year prior for the Vancouver Island Seals.

Cassidy Shandro is an 18-year-old centre who is taking Open Studies. She is native to Edmonton, A.B. and played in the CSSHL academy league for the Northern Alberta Extreme.

Hannah Piket is an 18-year-old centre who is taking Academic Upgrading and Open Studies. She is from Fort Nelson, B.C. and played female A last year for the LB Energy Predators.

This month has been surprisingly busy for the Ooks as they’ve played eight exhibition games over four weekends to prepare themselves for the regular season. They went 3 – 0 against the Edmonton Wolves Junior A team, beat U18 Team Saskatchewan, lost to the U of S, and went 0-1-1 against the Edmonton Pandas AAA team.

The Ooks also played their inner city rivals, the MacEwan Griffins in a community outreach game in Fox Creek, AB. They lost 4-3, but it was an excellent game and it’s looking like the Ooks will have an exciting series against MacEwan.

The Thanksgiving weekend is an exciting one for the Ooks as they have their home opener on Friday as well as their jersey presentation on Thursday. Parents and alumni will be at the jersey presentation as each Ook introduces the number below them and an alumni then passes the jersey on to them.

The team is also practicing hard for their two games this weekend in Edmonton MacEwan — at NAIT on Friday and at the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton on Saturday.

Do you want to cover your college hockey team this season?

Join our writing team!