The Midland University Warriors will be flush with Aces when they hit the ice next season.
Three of the Stratford Aces’ U18 AA squad will head off to Fremont, Nebraska to suit up in the orange and blue for the American Collegiate Hockey Association member school starting this coming September.
Victoria Campbell and Kiara McGregor both signed on with Midland this year, while teammate Jaden Greenlee committed to the Warriors back in November. McGregor toured the school first and said she found it to her liking – so much so that she had a request for Midland’s coaches.
“I asked if I could bring some friends along with me, and I knew they’d already been looking at Jaden,” she said. “The three of us work really well together and have been able to stay together for a few years so I think we’re going to be a good asset to the Midland team.”
All three girls were scouted by the Warriors when they took part in a tournament in Stoney Creek; following some of their games, scouts were lined up at the dressing room to chat with them. Aces U18 AA coach Sean Cameron said this trio has drawn a lot of interest the further along they’ve progressed in the Stratford program.
“On talent alone, they’ve been getting a lot of attention,” he said. “They’ve been playing together for so long, and they all have that dedication, talent, hockey IQ, and they’re just really good people in the community, which is important to me. These three girls are just natural born leaders.”
Getting elite talent to stick together as they transition into the next level of hockey is one thing, but getting all three to sign on with a school in a state better known for football is something else entirely. Greenlee said it came down to a feel thing, that the atmosphere at Midland was what she was looking for and the others agreed.
“Coming from a smaller town, it had that feel to it,” she said of the town of Fremont where the campus is located. “Plus we knew we wouldn’t be stuck in a big classroom with over 100 people, so we’re going to be able to get to know everyone better on a more personal level rather than not knowing very many people.”
McGregor talked about the opportunity to continue to play and grow alongside Greenlee and Campbell as they all take the next step in their playing careers together. Already having great on-ice chemistry, she thinks this will give them a chance to keep enhancing that as they all continue to grow their individual games.
“It’s like we can read each other’s minds when we’re on the ice and we know what’s going to happen because we’ve built that trust with one another,” she said. “We have each other’s back and we’re not scared to make mistakes, and that’s huge. And going away to play hockey at school was always a dream of mine, so getting to do it with my best friends is even more exciting.”
Greenlee agreed with that sentiment, clearly excited to take that step forward in September.
“Continuing to play hockey while getting my education was the end goal for me, and I feel like being able to play at college is going to be great,” she said. “Getting to know new people and experience more friendships and have different experiences by going to a lot of new places is pretty exciting.”
Cameron is happy to see his star players getting the chance to extend their careers together, and had praise for each one’s game on an individual level as well as collectively.
“Jaden is, hands down, one of the best offensive players I have ever seen in my hockey career, with an incredible hockey IQ and the ability to move the puck very well,” he said. “Kiara is just a scoring talent and knows how to find the net … when it comes down to it and we need a goal, I’m sending her out onto the ice. And Victoria is a big, strong defender who is one of the best penalty killers I’ve ever seen with a huge desire to win. When you bring them together, it’s just great fun to watch.”
Praise aside, the Aces haven’t finished their season yet and are looking to punch their ticket to the next round of the playoffs. But knowing this is going to be the last title run Cameron and the girls take together, the coach wants to send them on to the next thing the right way.
“It’s so hard because to get a group of girls that are so talented wanting to come to Stratford and wanting to play here and then see them all graduate is tough, but they’ve helped to establish a kind of mentality with the Aces,” he said. “We’re getting more people interested in coming here, and we have a template of what we want to be like. We’re getting the talent to come to Stratford now because these girls were real trailblazers. They’ve set a very high standard, and we’re seeing the results of that.”
