The Richmond Devils will be relying on a more balanced attack when they open the South Coast Women’s Hockey League regular season on Saturday night at the Richmond Ice Centre.
The Devils are coming off an impressive 2016-17 campaign that saw them win their first-ever league title then place third at the provincial championships.
They were led by Lindsay Dipietro who topped the senior “A” circuit in scoring with 37 points in 20 games. The former Wayne State University standout is among a group of players who have joined the Fraser Valley Jets this season where she is playing for her summer ball hockey coach.
Meanwhile, impressive rookie Yvonne Mikulcik, who was second in team scoring, has put her career on hold to attend school in Alberta. It means the Devils will be leaning on several players to carry the scoring load under head coach Tony Cheema.
So far, it’s been business as usual with an unbeaten pre-season that included three wins in four games.
The Devils get down to business Saturday when the Kamloops Vibe visits the Richmond Ice Centre’s Igloo Rink at 7:15 p.m.
The Devils’ line-up will feature seven newcomers — Rachel Berg, Kadia Dura, Mahara Gibson-Zeinoun, Melissa Phillips, Marilyn Sun, Kaarina Swinburnson and Amy Vanden Eynde.
Phillips and Gibson-Zeinoun are graduates from the Richmond Ravens Midget team. Vanden Eynde (Sarnia), Swinburnson (Sooke) and Dura (Victoria) are all attending post-secondary schools in Metro Vancouver.
