Press Release: Delta Hockey Academy announces departure of Female Varsity assistant coach Jenn Gilligan

Press Release: Delta Hockey Academy announces departure of Female Varsity assistant coach Jenn Gilligan

Delta Hockey Academy Director of Female Hockey and Business Operations, Owen Pighin, announced today that Jenn Gilligan will be stepping down from her position as assistant coach of the Female Varsity team to pursue a full time assistant coaching role with the Port Moody Panthers Junior B hockey club.

“We are so excited for Jenn and her new opportunity with the Panthers,” said Pighin. “I personally am very thankful for Jenn’s support over the years and wish her all the best in this next step of her career.”

Gilligan graduated from NCAA DI Syracuse University in 2016 wrapping up her competitive playing career as the starting goaltender for the Syracuse Orange where she earned an impressive .902 save percentage in her senior year. She served as an assistant coach for the Female Varsity team at the Delta Hockey Academy for three seasons, sharing her knowledge of the game with young female players and dedicating additional time to goaltender development.

Gilligan will start her new role with the Port Moody Panthers in August.

July 2, 2019

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DHA in the news: Female CSSHL Showcase Weekend Highlights

DHA female teams at last enjoy home ice at CSSHL Showcase Weekend

Prep and Varsity teams play a combined 10 games over four days

Mark Booth, Delta Optimist

 

Delta Hockey Academy’s Female Prep and Varsity teams at long last made their regular season home ice debuts at this weekend’s Canadian School Sport Hockey League Showcase at Planet Ice.

A highly competitive four-day event concluded with the DHA Prep team falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Edge School from Calgary on Sunday. The hosts forced overtime when Katie Chan tied the game with 5:55 remaining in regulation. Aimee Brucker had the other Delta goal.

Leah Lanthier gave the Edge the extra point by being the only player to score in six shootout attempts. Reese Hiddleston was terrific in the DHA net making 34 saves.

The Wild began the weekend with a 5-0 win over Banff on Friday morning. Grace Elliott led the way with a three-point outing including a pair of goals. Nicole Soon, Jessica Soon and Aimee Brucker also scored. Taylor Bilingsley made 13 stops for the shutout.

DHA was then trimmed by Winnipeg’s St. Mary’s Academy 4-3 on Saturday morning. The difference was Jessica Haner’s goal with just 53 seconds remaining. Mila Verbicky, Ava Svejkovsky and Brucker had the Wild goals. Chan chipped in with a pair of helps and Hiddleston made 25 stops.

The girls rebounded Saturday night by blanking Northern Alberta 4-0. Brucker continued her productive weekend with two more goals. Kesslan McCabe and Elliott also scored. Bilingsley made 19 saves for her second straight shutout.

The Wild now sit with a 5-5-2 record in regular season play. Next up is four games at the St. Mary’s Showcase in Winnipeg, Nov. 16-18. DHA won’t be back at Planet Ice until Jan. 19.

Meanwhile, it was an even busier weekend on home ice for the DHA Female Varsity team with a whopping six games over four days. The girls finished the hectic stretch with a 4-2-0 record, capped by a 1-0 shootout victory over Okanagan Hockey Academy on Sunday morning.

Logan Hamilton’s shootout goal was the difference while Janaka Shahi made 17 stops in regulation for the shutout and turned aside all three OHA attempts as well.

The Wild opened the Showcase with a 4-2 win over Couer d’Alene. Allison Jakeway had a pair of goals. Tristan Craig and Melody Pilchak also scored.

Shahi had a 19-save shutout in a 3-0 win over Okanagan on Friday night. Makenna Bergen, Melisa Ardanaz and Emma Killman were the goal scorers.

DHA also trimmed Couer d’Alene 1-0 on Saturday morning. Lainey Joyce’s third period power play goal was the difference. Shahi earned her third shutout of the weekend with 21 saves.

DHA Varsity are now 9-4-1 on the season.

Find the full article from the Delta Optimist here: https://www.delta-optimist.com/sports/dha-female-teams-at-last-enjoy-home-ice-at-csshl-showcase-weekend-1.23486898 

Female Prep Female Varsity Recent News U18 Female

Sign up today for the Delta Wild Hockey Group Elementary Skills Program

Our coaching staff is excited to announce the start of the Delta Wild Hockey Group Elementary Skills Program. This will be a weekly program to help develop fundamental skills for players who have the ambition to improve and increase their ability in the hockey world. All ice sessions will be at the Delta Hockey Academy training facility at Planet Ice, Delta. The players will have the opportunity to be coached by the Delta Hockey Group coaches as well as specialty coaches.

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1st Annual Craig Cunningham Pro Camp: Day 1

The 1st annual All Heart Pre-Season Pro Camp has begun. Proceeds are going towards the Craig Cunningham All Heart Foundation, a foundation in which Craig is working with top doctors in the world to try to predict and prevent sudden cardiac arrest.

Day 1 of the camp consisted of 32 pro players preparing for their season. Newell Brown, Yogi Svejkovsky and Derek Popke are running the sessions. Midget Prep coaches Spencer Bennett and Kris Beech are assisting in the week camp.

The camp begins again tomorrow at 12:30pm. Spectators are welcome!

 

 

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DHA is extremely proud and congratulates alum Lukas Svejkovsky on signing a Western Hockey League Standard Player Agreement with the Vancouver Giants for the 2018-2019 campaign.

The five-foot-nine forward was drafted by the Giants in the second round, 36th overall, at the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.

Good luck in the upcoming season with the Giants Lukas! #wild pride

http://www.csshl.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=4542&leagueID=15269&page=104698

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DHA announces new roles within female program and male Midget Prep AC

Delta B.C. – The Delta Hockey Academy (DHA) are excited to announce new roles within the Hockey Operations team, including a Director of Female Hockey, a new position within their organization, which will be filled by Owen Pighin.

Scott May will take over as the Head Coach of the Female Prep team, Brittany Kirby has joined the coaching staff as an Assistant Coach for the Female Varsity team and Kris Beech has been named an Assistant Coach with the male Midget Prep team.

Pighin has spent the last two seasons as Head Coach of the DHA Female Varsity program and was a key member in the inaugural 2016-17 Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) Championship season.

The Tsawwassen, B.C. product has had a long coaching career of 35-plus years in both the male and female game. He was a key contributor to the start up of the Female Steelers program and was heavily involved in the development and female program at the North Shore Winter Club in the early 2000’s.

Pighn will continue to serve as the Head Coach of the Female Varsity team while overseeing both the Female Varsity and Female Prep student athlete personnel in recruiting and post-secondary opportunities.

“We are fortunate to have someone like Owen guide and support all of our female student-athletes with his enthusiasm, passion and respect for the game and athlete,” said Ian Gallagher, Director of the Delta Hockey Academy.

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May, currently Director of Hockey & Business Operations at Delta Hockey Academy will step into the role of Head Coach for the Female Prep team.

May has coached the Male Midget Prep team since DHA’s inaugural 2013-14 season in the CSSHL. Highlighted by a CSSHL Championship in 2015-16, May looks for a new experience and challenge in the Female game.

Before coaching, May had a playing career that took him to The Ohio State University (NCAA) where he was selected in the seventh round, 222nd overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2002 NHL Draft. After his collegiate career, the White Rock, B.C. product went on to play eight seasons professionally at the AHL, ECHL and European levels.

“I am excited for the new opportunity and the change to work with the female student-athletes in our program,” said May. “I look forward to continue to help grow and strengthen our female program, working alongside our other female coaches.”

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Kirby enjoyed a lengthy playing career that was highlighted by her time with the Pacific Steelers from 2003 to 2007 and then moving on to University of Toronto from 2009 to 2014.

Most recently, Kirby has spent time with minor hockey programs in both Toronto and Winnipeg teaching skills development as well as serving as an Assistant Coach with Team Winnipeg in the most recent Manitoba Winter Games.

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Beech will join DHA in a full coaching capacity for the 2018-19 season with the Midget Prep team. He was with DHA last season in a mentorship and mental training role, while also assisting on the ice for practices.

The Salmon Arm, B.C. product had an extensive 16-year pro career, after being drafted in the first round, seventh overall, by the Washington Capitals at the 1999 NHL Draft. He played with Washington, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Columbus and Vancouver before playing in Europe for eight years to end his career in 2016.

“We are looking forward to having Kris continue in a larger role within our program,” said Gallagher. “We pride ourselves on having an experienced and professional coaching staff and adding Kris in a full-time position adds to the depth we already have in place.”

Featured Female Prep Female Varsity Midget Prep Recent News Uncategorized

DHA Alumni Selected in the 2018 NHL Draft

DHA is extremely proud and congratulates alumni Ty Smith and Ty Taylor on being selected 17th and 214th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Ty Smith, 18, was selected in Round 1, 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils.Smith attended the Delta Hockey Academy during the 2014-15 season, leading the CSSHL’s Bantam Prep Division in scoring with 28 points (9-16-28) in 16 games en route to being named the Bantam Prep Division MVP.

The Lloydminster, Alta. product also registered seven points (3-4-7) in four post-season games.

Smith has spent the past two seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs, tallying 107 points (19-88-107) in 137 career games. He was named the 2018 WHL Scholastic Player of the Year.

Ty Taylor, 18, was selected Round 7, 214th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Taylor attended the Delta Hockey Academy during the 2015-16 season where he helped his team capture the CSSHL’s Midget Prep Championship posting a division-best 1.46 goals-against average and a league-best .943 save-percentage.

The Richmond, B.C. product has spent the past two seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Vernon Vipers. During the 2017-18 season he led the BCHL in goals-against average (1.87), save-percentage (.943), while being named the BCHL Top Goaltender and to the BCHL First All-Star Team.

Taylor will attend and play NCAA hockey at the University of New Hampshire beginning in 2019.

DHA wishes to congratulate Ty Smith, Ty Taylor and 4 other CSSHL Alumni, including Jacob Bernard-Docker (Edge), Joel Hofer (POE), Angus Crookshank (BWC), and Matthew Thiessen (Rink) on being selected in the 2018 NHL Draft.

http://www.csshl.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=4542&leagueID=15269&page=104424

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