Rachel Halldorson didn't have to travel far to continue doing what she loves.
From Lundar, Rachel signed on the dotted line to join the Assiniboine Cougars women's hockey team after graduating from high school. Now 20 years old, Rachel has completed her second conference schedule with the team.
Playing in Division 2 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Rachel has had the chance to travel south of the border with her team and experience places she likely wouldn't have seen if she hadn't joined the Cougars.
For Rachel, the past two years have been among the best of her life.
"It's been amazing. It's a great atmosphere," said Halldorson. "We have a great group, great coaches, and our management is awesome. I couldn't have asked for more."
The second-year goaltender is having a season to remember. The Lundar star has started 18 games in the net for the team. She's won all 18. She has a tremendous 0.74 goals-against average and a sparkling .961 save percentage.
Only one goalie in the entire Division had more wins than her. Among goalies with 10 starts, Rachel's goals-against average is the best in the nation, as is her save percentage. It's been a season that many goalies only dream of having.
Rachel dreamed of achieving success like this when she joined the program. Now, she's living it in her second year with the program. Halldorson says she couldn't have had this success without her teammates.
"Getting to have those stats is a great accomplishment," added Halldorson. "I honestly can't say that I've done that all by myself. The group of girls in front of me helped me get here. They push me at practice, and it's helped during games."
In January, Halldorson put up the best numbers in the nation. She went 6-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .965 save percentage. After the stellar month, the Lundar native was named the ACHA's women's Division 2 player of the month.
Rachel turned away 84 of the 87 shots she faced in January. She tallied back-to-back shutouts on January 9 and 10.
"Yeah, honestly, I didn't see that one coming. It was a great thing to see, I was pretty happy with myself," commented Halldorson. "It's hard not to recognize the people who helped get me there. It helped me a lot with my personal game and mentality. It gave me that confidence boost."
The team's conference schedule has ended. The Cougars were the class of the nation, winning 23 of their 25 games. They finished on top of the Independent Division by 11 points. They finished first overall in Division 2.
With fewer than half a dozen returning players, Halldorson was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the team came together. The team outscored their opponents, 142-19. They finished their season with 19 straight wins.
"We didn't all know each other, so we had to build up the chemistry and find the right lines," added Halldorson. "It only took about a week. The fact that we all clicked together so quickly was the reason for our success. We're a very tight-knit group."
It's been a brilliant season to date.
23 victories for the team and 18 credited to Rachel. The job, however, is far from done. Rachel and her team leave for Maryland Heights, Missouri, later this week for the national championships to be played at the Centene Community Ice Centre.
Last year, Rachel and her teammates were so close. They advanced to the final four at the national tournament last season. They beat the United States Naval Academy, 2-1, in the semifinals. A national title was on the line against Sault College.
Sault College scored four times in the first period and never looked back. It was a 6-2 final for Sault, ending Rachel and her teammates' season in heartbreak.
After posting 23 wins so far this year, Rachel and her teammates have one goal: to win a national championship. They play their first game on Sunday against Boston University. Next Monday, they play Central Michigan before ending pool play next Tuesday against Northern Michigan.
"Yeah, we expect to take that trophy home this year. We don't want that second-place one," ended Halldorson. "It was a great honour to finish in second, but it wasn't what we wanted. We want to come home with the championship trophy. We'll put everything on the line."
Rachel and her team leave for Missouri on Thursday.
