EDMONTON, AB– Canada West announces the 2009-10 women’s hockey individual major award winners and All-Stars, as selected by head coaches across the conference.

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…The Manitoba Bisons’ CAITLIN MacDONALD has been selected as this season’s Rookie of the Year.

In her initial Canada West season, MacDonald played in 24 conference season games and was second in defenceman scoring, with 15 points (6g, 9a), including one game-winning goal vs. UBC on October 30, just her fifth league game.

The 5’7” Winnipeg native was third in Bisons team scoring, 20th-best overall in Canada West. MacDonald is already recognized as having one of the hardest point shots in the league and her six power-play goals tied her for sixth in the conference.

"Caitlin has had a tremendous first year in CIS and has made the transition from high school to university a seamless one," said long-time Manitoba head coach Jon Rempel. He added, "She is skilled, a very hard worker on and off the ice and very passionate about the game. Her ability to skate the game as well as shoot the puck with velocity and accuracy are impressive for a first-year player. Along with her natural offensive ability, Caitlin has worked very hard to make herself a better all around defensive player, a factor that has helped her overall game develop at a rapid pace."

Marion Hilliard Student-Athlete Award nominee STACEY CORFIELD, also of the Bisons, is a team leader on and off the ice for a Manitoba team that finished second in the standings, at 18-6-0, and a No. 6 CIS ranking.

While posting an impressive 15-6 regular season record, a 1.85 goals against average and three shutouts as the team’s starting goaltender, Corfield has also made plenty of contributions to her school and the community.

Now in her final year of CIS eligibility, Corfield is in her second year in the U of M’s demanding Faculty of Nursing program and last year achieved a 3.25 GPA. The program is extremely intensive and involves two days every week of clinical and hospital practical experience from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. along with the rigorous demands of regular course work.

In the University community the 22-year-old is very active, having served as the coordinator for the Bison Sports Siloam Mission project. This initiative sees Bison athletes from all teams serve meals at an inner city shelter over the Christmas holiday break. She is also involved in the Bisons vs. Bullying project, an initiative started several years ago by UMAC (University of Manitoba Athletes Council), and Corfield has been involved from the outset as a driving force from the women’s hockey team. The project sees Bison athletes visit local schools in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba helping educate young children about bullying and promoting strategies to help combat it. In the hockey community she has been a guest evaluator for a number of years with Hockey Manitoba’s Program of Excellence and has also guest-coached with a number of local female minor hockey teams, lending her experience and knowledge to young, up and coming goaltenders in the province.

Coach Jon Rempel stated, "Stacey deserves all the credit in the world for being able to maintain a high level of excellence on the ice and in the classroom as well as making time to give back to her community. She has a tremendous work ethic, is diligent in her preparation and cares about the people around her. She is the embodiment of what a student-athlete in the CIS is all about and our program is extremely proud of all her accomplishments."

Canda West – First Team All-Stars

F: Breanne George, Saskatchewan

F: Tarin Podloski, Alberta
F: Leah Copeland, Alberta
D: Caitlin MacDonald, Manitoba
D: Nicole Pratt, Alberta
G: Stacey Corfield, Manitoba