Outlook Ice Hawks female hockey team welcomes new assistant coach

OUTLOOK - Ahead of the fall training sessions, a change is being made to the coaching staff of the Outlook Under-22 Ice Hawks.

The female team, which plays in the SJFHL (Saskatchewan Junior Female Hockey League), carried an impressive record even as the league itself is still only in its first few years. The squad will hope to carry that momentum back onto the ice this upcoming season, but not before making a change behind the scenes.

Nikki Stewart, who served two years on the bench as an assistant coach for the Ice Hawks, is stepping away from the team ahead of the upcoming season. Coaching alongside Ice Hawks head coach Josh Houseman in the team's debut season before focusing on defense the following year, Stewart's impact on the team was notable, and to the team, is said that she will be "forever an Ice Hawk."

Filling the role will be a person who is perhaps more than a little familiar with the sport of hockey, Samantha Ridgewell.

The celebrated athlete, who also works at LCBI High School in admissions and PR in addition to coaching both volleyball and basketball, has long been a goaltender on the ice, currently on reserve with PWHL Ottawa of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).

Ridgewell's history with hockey dates back to her early childhood, starting her journey in the sport at the age of five in her hometown of Conquest. Over the years, she fine-tuned her skills and found herself playing both in Outlook and for the Coteau Hills Coyotes. In her Grade 10 year, Samantha began playing for the Saskatoon Stars in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League.

Ridgewell's hockey career has seen her play for a number of teams across the globe, including the Notre Dame Hounds, the Merrimack Warriors, the Djurgardens IF (Swedish Women's Hockey League), the Toronto Six, HV71 (Swedish Women's Hockey League), and the Buffalo Beauts.

Samantha's skillset in the sport is known to both her fellow players and coaching staff, and she has collected a number of achievements on the ice, including Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 while playing at Merrimack College, two MVP awards, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and making three Hockey East All-Star teams.

The new assistant coach says she's excited for the upcoming season, and would like to bring more goalie coaching opportunities to the minor hockey associations in the local area.

The Under-22 Ice Hawks are currently set for a fall training camp on September 14.