Highwood goalie cleans up at awards banquet

The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association took time to honour its players on April 20 at the annual awards banquet at the Foothills Centennial Centre.

Among the big winners was Highwood Female Midget AAA Raiders goaltender Jenni Schmidt.

The High River native picked up the Most Valuable Player trophy and the Oiler Award in recognition of her great season.

In her fourth season with the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association (OOAA), Schmidt dominated the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League (AMMFHL) with an 11-6-3 record to go along with a stellar .940 save percentage and 1.45 goals against average.

She has become such an integral part the association and to be recognized for her efforts was a huge honour for the Raiders’ netminder.

“I’d say it’s definitely an accomplishment. It makes me feel really good that I’ve been recognized by the association that I’ve put so much time into for the past four years,” Schmidt said.

It was a successful season for Schmidt and her Highwood teammates as well.

Led by top scorer Katy Josephs, the Raiders put up a 17-9-6 record in the AMMFHL, good enough for second place in the South Division.

Unfortunately, the South Division champion Red Deer Chiefs eliminated Highwood in the second round of the playoffs.

Although she did manage to shut out the Chiefs in Game 4 of the best of five series, Highwood was downed 4-1 in the final game.

While the Raiders were disappointed to lose the decisive game of the series, the outcome did little to dampen what was a great season for the squad.

Even though she picked up a provincial silver medal in the 2009-2010 season, Schmidt said this season will probably going down as the most memorable.

“It was definitely a great year. I’d probably say out of the four years, it was my favourite year,” Schmidt said.

It’s been a season of collecting accolades for the goaltender.

Schmidt was a member of the Team Alberta under-18 team at the Mandy Schwartz Challenge in Regina earlier this season. She was also selected as the co-winner of the AMMFHL’s Best Goaltender Award along with Krysten Pattison of Sherwood Park.

After arriving four years ago as one of Highwood’s youngest recruits, Schmidt said she has learned how to be a leader from watching those who have gone before her.

Her growth as a player and person was a major factor in been presented with the Oiler Award – which recognizes a players’ work and dedication on and off the ice.

“It was really different being the oldest,” she said of this season. “It was definitely a good experience to be a leader and have the opportunity to play.”

Schmidt insisted she wouldn’t have been the player she is today without the support of her teammates and the OOAA.

“From all the time that I’ve spent (here), I’ve grown so much. I’ve had other opportunities to go to other teams in other associations but I know that this association has given it all to me so I decided to give my all to them,” she said.

As a result of her dominating the Female Midget AAA ranks, Schmidt will be taking her talents to the University of Regina next season.

The soon-to-be Highwood High School graduate said she feels confident heading into her first foray into college hockey.

“I think that I’ve prepared myself well enough that I think I will, hopefully, be successful there,” Schmidt said.

Regardless of where her hockey journey takes her, the Raiders goalie will always remember her time as a Raider.

“I’m really going to miss being a Raider but we all have to move on sometime,” she said.

Prior to the awards being handed out, Canadian Olympian Alex Gough spoke about her own athletic journey.

Gough spoke of her trials and tribulations through injury and frustration on her way to becoming the first Canadian luge athlete to win a World Cup race — a feat she accomplished in Paramonovo, Russia.

The Calgarian also chronicled her trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.

Although Gough finished out of the medals, she was blown away by the considerable support shown for Canadian athletes by the entire country.

The rest of the award winners from the OOAA Awards evening were:

Most Improved Player: Dawson Wade (Pee Wee AA), Michael Stach (Bantam AA), Kaleb Burnett (Bantam AAA), Malia Schneider (Bantam AAA Female), Craig Swanson (Midget AA), Selby Jessiman (Female Midget AAA), Dakota Herman (Keystone Raiders – M15).

Top Scorer: Owen Guenter (Pee Wee AA), Derek Arnold (Bantam AA), Conner Bleackley (Bantam AAA), Emily Potts (Bantam AAA Female), Zak Johns (Midget AA), Katy Josephs (Female Midget AAA), Dalton Dubetz (Keystone Raiders – M15).

Best Defenceman: Cooper Krauss (Pee Wee AA), Ryan St. Jean (Bantam AA), Chas McArthur (Bantam AAA), Kaylin Snodgrass (Bantam AAA Female), Tyson Arnholtz (Midget AA), Jesse Reid (Female Midget AAA), Justin Kostiuk (Keystone Raiders – M15).

Oiler Award: Austin LeDuc (Pee Wee AA), Jordan Grover (Bantam AA), Ryden Attwood (Bantam AAA), Cora Place (Bantam AAA Female), Liam McMaster (Midget AA), Jenni Schmidt (Female Midget AAA), Mark McLeod (Keystone Raiders – M15).

MVP: Jagger Thiessen (Pee Wee AA), Taylor McNeill (Bantam AA), Conner Bleackley (Bantam AAA), MacKenzie Ebel (Bantam AAA Female), Eric Antonchuk (Midget AA), Jenni Schmidt (Female Midget AAA), Blair Oneschuk (Keystone Raiders – M15).

Black Elk Scholarship: Cody Campbell (Pee Wee AA), Brett Carter (Bantam AA), Brodie Wilson (Bantam AAA), Erika Iglesias (Bantam AAA Female), Drew Barvir (Midget AA), Jillian Barvir (Female Midget AAA), Dalton Dubetz (Keystone Raiders – M15).

Craig Kletzle Memorial Award: Brodie Wilson

Volunteer of the Year: Andrew Tuckey

Ralph Brown Award: Jim Racette

SCAHL Awards: Garrett Mason (Bantam AA) – Best Goaltender. Tyson Arnholtz (Midget AA) – Best Defenceman.