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Devils loaded with hometown talent

Richmond opens regular season schedule Saturday against Kamloops
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With a whopping 15 Ravens alumni in their line-up, the Richmond Devils will open their South Coast Women’s Hockey League schedule on Saturday night against Kamloops at the Richmond Ice Centre. The Devils will also host Team China on Oct. 18.

The Richmond Devils have an international flavour to their schedule as they get set to open the South Coast Women’s Hockey League regular season on Saturday night.
The Kamloops Vibe visit the Richmond Ice Centre’s Igloo rink at 7:15 p.m. as the Devils’ embark on a 28-game journey towards next March’s provincial championships. The locals will step aside from their SCWHL duties on Oct. 18 to host Team China at the RIC.
The game is part of 10-day stay in B.C. for the Chinese national team as it builds towards hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. China is currently ranked 16th in the world.
“I know it’s a game the girls are really looking forward to,” said Devils head coach Tony Cheema. “They get to see how they can compete against the big girls — a team that is in the world rankings. A couple of our players have had a chance to play over there and say they like to play fast hockey.”
The Devils are coming off another solid campaign that saw them finish third in the eight-team circuit with a 15-6-7 record They eventually bowed out in the provincial quarter-finals after a 2-1 loss to the fourth place Fraser Valley Jets.
Only two teams were better at keeping the puck out of their net than Richmond. A deep and talented blueline, along with solid goaltending, allowed the Devils to compete with anyone in the province’s top women’s league.
Goals, however, were harder to come by. The locals ranked sixth in offensive production and managed just four goals in as many games at the provincials.
The attack should feature more firepower with the addition of 29-year-old Ottawa native Lindsay Dipietro, who ranks among the top all-time scorers at Wayne State University. She led the Ravens in pre-season scoring and should join returnees Nicole Lim and Alex Yallouz as the team’s top goal scorers.
Also new to the roster are 18-year-olds Harmony Sander, Emily Chau and Yvonee Mikulcik from the provincial champion Richmond Midget Ravens. That makes it a whopping 15 Richmond Girls Ice Hockey alumni in the program — exactly what John and Pat Korenic envisioned when they founded the team seven years ago as a destination for local graduating players.
Sander will share the goaltending work with Victoria native Reggin Eraut, while Chau and Mikulcik provide more depth up front.
“All three have looked good” added Cheema. “It’s not an easy jump coming to this level with girls from Major Midget and other schools as well. “The speed is up and it’s a more intense game but they have adjusted well so far.”
Other Raven grads on the Devils’ roster include: Natalie Korenic, Sam Hall, Jane Gregory-Herbold, Brynley Ross, Allison Detina, Tamara Wong, Marisa Cahu, Deanna Mohr, Kelsey Wagner, Nicole Sabrina Wong and Holly Gill.
For more information on the Richmond Devils Hockey Club visit htosports.com/RDHC