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Former Northern Capital Kelsey Roberts is the Canada West women’s hockey player of the year

Goaltender contributed in more ways than one in turn-around season for Calgary
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

A Prince George female midget hockey alumna’s career year has been rewarded with her university conference’s highest honour.

Kelsey Roberts, who backstopped for the Northern Capitals for four seasons up to 2016, was named the Canada West women’s hockey player of the year in leading the Calgary Dinos to a semi-final appearance in the playoffs.

The 21-year-old was part of the Dinos’ turn-around season that saw them go from a 5-23 record in 2019 to 17-7-1-3 this past year.

She clocked in over 1,500 minutes between the pipes, a 1.33 goals-against average and a .948 save-percentage while leading Canada West with 16 regular-season wins and four shutouts.

Roberts, along with former Northern Capitals Sage Desjardins and Taylor Beck, helped Calgary clinch second place in the conference standings.

That marked the first time since 2013 the Dinos got a first-round bye in the playoffs when Hayley Wickenheiser played her final season at the university.

Roberts’ team eventually fell in the best-of-three semis to the Mount Royal Cougars, bringing her fourth season in the red and white to a sudden stop.

The Prince George Secondary graduate also played her first game for Canada prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, stopping 22 of 26 shots from the United States in the second of a three-game summer series in August. 

She was also one of four university athletes to make the 23-woman roster for Lake Placid, New York.

Originally from Kitimat, Roberts now adds the accolade to a resume that includes back-to-back provincial titles in 2015 and 2016 with the Northern Capitals and a Mac’s Female AAA Championship.