A Chilliwack hockey star is heading to the Atlantic coast in the fall of 2018.
Tamina Kehler has signed a letter of offer with the University of New Brunswick and will skate for the Varsity Reds.
Kehler is entering her Grade 12 year at Chilliwack’s Highroad Academy.
She is a member of the Pacific Steelers, a team in the B.C. Junior Women’s Hockey League. Prior to joining the Steelers, she played a single season with the major midget Fraser Valley Rush, where she led first year players in assists.
Kehler played on the Fraser Valley team that won gold at the 2016 B.C. Winter Games. She was invited to Team BC’s U-16 selection camp and, most recently, advanced to the top 25 in the selection process for Team BC’s U-18 squad.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity UNB has given me to continue playing the sport I love,” said Kehler. “I’m beyond excited to work with their great coaching staff and be a part of the amazing vision they have for their program.”
UNB head coach Sarah Hilworth is happy to have her as she builds a program from scratch.
“Tamina brings a skill set that will help us be successful from day one,” the bench boss said. “She’s not afraid to get to the net and is very good around the net.
“Tamina has played against some of the top players in North America this past season, with the Steelers, and we anticipate that she will bring some of that experience next September.”
Kehler hasn’t decided on what she’ll study at UNB, but she eventually wants to get into law.
The Varsity Reds will be hitting the ice for the first time in 2018-19 as a brand new program in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference. Kehler’s crew will face the likes of Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS), St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, NS), St. Thomas University (Fredericton, NB), Mount Allison University (Sackville, NB), Saint Mary’s University (Halifax, NS), the University of Moncton (NB) and the University of Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, PE).
See atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wice/index for more info.