Mount Royal’s Hodgson leading league as Cougars finish near-undefeated season

Entering the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference women’s hockey play-offs, Drumheller’s Christina Hodgson is the conference’s top scorer and Mount Royal University Cougars captain strong reason why the team went nearly undefeated this regular season, 21-1-0-2.

    “She’s our team captain, leading scorer, and has had a great year so far,” says Cougars head coach Scott Rivett. “One of the things which always separates her is how hard she competes every single day, whether practice or a game she gives her best.”
    Starting the first play-off round this Friday at the Mount Royal rink against Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan (the only team to blemish their record), Hodgson, 20, hopes her luck with points this season carries into the best-of-five series. MRU won ACAC gold last year, and silver in Hodgson’s rookie year the season before.
    “Honestly, I think we have a very good shot at winning again as long as we play to our level and not the other team’s level. Bounces are going my way, and the pose of our team is absolutely unbelievable,” Hodgson said.
    Coach Rivett says she hasn’t changed her game much compared to last year, she’s just finding the back of the net more. Hodgson finished the season with 14 goals and 19 assists for a total of 33 points, leading the top by four points.
    “She’s first line centre, on the powerplay, first on the forecheck. She creates space for other players and moves the puck realLY well. She’s getting rewarded with those goals down low in some tough areas – it’s nice to see for her,” says Rivett.
    This Friday, MRU will host MacEwan for the first game of the series, heading to Edmonton Saturday for game two.
    “It should be a good series,” Rivett adds, “MacEwan plays physical and tough. The girls will be fired up because they gave us our only loss of the year.”
    “We’re the team to beat, as far as the league’s concerned. But one great thing about this league is anybody can win. You gotta come out and show up ready to compete and give your best or else you’ll get rowed over.”
    Hodgson is playing her third year as a Cougar, and is eligible for two more years. She’s studying in education and hopes to become a kindergarten or Grade 1 teacher. Although her assistant coach is two-time gold medal Olympic Carla MacLeod, the world stage isn’t on her radar now.
    “It’s amazing having her as a coach, but right now post-secondary athletics is my dream and I’ll hopefully be coaching one day,” Hodgson says.