This past week, 16-year-old blueliner Louise Fergusson officially determined her plans for postsecondary education and further hockey endeavours. In putting pen to paper on a futures deal with the University of Manitoba Bisons, the Alexander, MB. product opted to remain in province, signing on to play within the Canada West Conference, beginning in the 2022-23 season.
“My commitment to the Bisons is a very exciting time for both my family and I,” Fergusson told Game On. “I am very excited to get to play so close to home and to join such a strong program. It’s always been a goal of mine to play at the U-Sports level.”
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound defender is currently in her second season as a member of the Manitoba Female AAA Hockey League’s Yellowhead Chiefs, where she has a goal and five points in five games prior to the COVID-19 league shutdown. Fergusson has picked up multi-point outings upon two occasions already this season.
The Grade 11 student also suited up for 51 games with the Chiefs in 2019-20, accumulating 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points, to go alongside 18 penalty minutes. Two of her goals were game-winners, while she picked up a hat trick in a 6-0 victory over Central Plains roughly a year ago. The offensive defenceman also put up seven separate multi-point games last season.
Photo of Louise Fergusson courtesy of Zachary Peters
“The Yellowhead Chiefs and the MFML have played a really large role in my hockey career,” Fergusson added. “The program has helped me develop into the player I am today and my coaches and teammates have been nothing less than the very best.”
With her Grade 11 and Grade 12 AAA seasons very much still to be played, Fergusson has two years of minor hockey on her plate before joining the U-Sports ranks with the Bisons.
“Louise comes from a hard-working family and that work ethic will bring immediate value to our team,” Bisons head coach Jon Rempel told Game On Magazine. “In addition to that work ethic, she is big, physically strong and can play a really strong shutdown role but she is also a gifted offensive presence who has a big shot, possesses very good hands and makes really good decisions with quality passes. We are really looking forward to having Louise in our program as we feel she will be able to fill a wide variety of roles in our line up and will strengthen an already talented defence corps moving forward.”
The University of Manitoba finished 2019-20 in seventh place with a 10-17-1 record, keeping the team from entering the Canada West playoff picture. And due to COVID-19, there will be no 2020-21 U-Sports hockey season.
“The MFHL wants to congratulate Louise on her outstanding accomplishments to date during her U18 AAA career,” the MFHL wrote in a statement this past week. “We want to wish her all the best with her future academic and hockey endeavours once she moves onto the University of Manitoba.”
.png)