Carothers named ACAC Women’s Hockey Rookie and Player of the Year

It is a difficult task to win rookie of the year in the competitive ACAC women's hockey league. However, being named player of the year in your first ACAC season is something very few will ever accomplish. Lakeland Rustler's first-year standout Hailey Carothers did just that.

Hailey was a highly sought-after recruit for the Rustlers as they headed into their opening season of play in the ACAC. The Rustlers had 7 players returning from their team last season in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League and had lost some offensive punch in the lineup. In stepped Carothers, who got off to a slow start in the regular season posting eight points in semester one. A torrid scoring pace in January with six goals, two assists, and eight total points over four league games led Carothers to jump up the scoring race in the ACAC, a place she firmly held onto for the remainder of play.

Overall , Hailey put up monster numbers for the season, nearly scoring a goal per game. Her 19 goals, eight assists, and 27 total points in 20 games ranked her first in the league, scoring seven points behind her nearest competitor. Carothers ranked first in power-play goals with four and was the only player to record multiple hat tricks this season, scoring three at home against NAIT on January 28th and repeating the feat on February 26th in Calgary against SAIT. 

The Rustlers played their inaugural season in the ACAC, finishing with a 10-10 regular season record, good enough for the number three seed overall. Carothers's goal pace was eleven more than her nearest competitor, showcasing her touch around the net and ability to score whether on the power play, penalty kill, or even strength. Her eight assists ranked her tied for sixth overall in that category. 

"Hailey adjusted to the speed and skill of the ACAC quickly. She is a gifted natural athlete with an exceptional offensive skill set" says head coach Morgan Mann. "Hailey will continue to improve as a player because of her strong work ethic, and willingness to learn. But most importantly, she loves the game!"

Carothers hails from Lac La Biche and is in her first year at Lakeland College, currently enrolled in the University Transfer program.  Congratulations on a fantastic 2022-2023 season Hailey and a bright future in the ACAC!