
๐โจ Interlake Lightning 2024-2025 Awards Banquet โจ๐ What an unforgettable season! Congratulations to our award winners: ๐ Most Dedicated โ Bre-Ann Windross ๐ฅ Top Scorer โ Chloe Minkus ๐ Rookie of the Year โ Ellis Pearson ๐ Most Improved โ Makayla Warnick ๐ฅ Top Forward โ Bre-Ann Windross ๐ก๏ธ Top Defence โ Kate Yanchishyn ๐ MVP โ Chloe Minkus โธป ๐ A huge thank you to our entire coaching staff who showed up for us every step of the way โ on and off the ice. Your leadership, time, and belief in this team made all the difference: ๐ง Bench Coaches: Kelsey McHolm, Sam Strassburger & Sam Brownell โ your passion, dedication, and drive helped each of us grow, not just as players, but as people. ๐ Goalie Coach: Rachel Dyck thank you for your between the pipes encouragemnt and knowledge. ๐ช Trainer: Madi Ridgen your support behind-the-scenes to keep us game ready is appreciated. ๐ Manager: Jen Thiessen โ the real MVP behind the scenes. Your organization and endless effort made this season run smoothly from start to finish. โธป ๐๏ธ Special shoutout to Mr. Staples โ our home games wouldnโt be the same without your voice in the rink. Thank you for bringing energy and fun to every home game day. โธป ๐ And to our amazing fans โ thank you for cheering loudly, and lifting us up all year. โธป โค๏ธ And finally, to all the parents โ thank you for everything. For the early mornings, long drives, fundraising, selling 50/50, packing team coolers, cheering in the stands, and unwavering support. The list goes on and on! This season was possible because of you!











Sam Strassburger Assistant Coach 2023/2024 BIO: Let me introduce myself, my name is Sam Strassburger and this will be my second year as Assistant Coach with the U18 Female Interlake Lightning. I am a graduate from Nipissing University with a Bachelor of Physical Health and Education where I played 5 years varsity hockey for the Nipissing Lakers in the OUA. While playing for Nipissing I was a Quest for Gold Recipient for multiple years which gave me my first look at coaching as I volunteered to coach U16 Team Ontarios for the Canada Winter Games. I am currently back in school finishing up massage therapy and hope to use that profession in the sports world. Coaching has been a way for me to give back to the hockey community and to keep my self in the arena! I have a great passion for helping educate and develop the girls for that next level in life, both as an athlete and person!

Assistant Coach - Sam Brownell BIO: Sam started playing hockey more than 20 years ago and has played every chance heโs had since. A lifelong defenseman, he uses his size and vision to drive play up the ice and put together a 200-foot game. Off the ice, Sam played both rugby and football at high levels, winning provincial championships in both. Samโs coaching experience comes on the rugby pitch, where he led St. Paulโs High School to multiple provincial championships in his time with the team. He also helped coach the Dauphin Mavericks Rugby Club in its return to Rugby Manitoba last season. Outside of sports, Sam works in radio, currently as a reporter for 680 CJOB and Global News. He was formerly the News Director at 730 CKDM in Dauphin, and hosted a daily agriculture show called AgriView, the Noon Hour Edition. In his spare time, Sam can be found playing golf and tennis, or at his familyโs cabin in Victoria Beach. โIโm excited to be a part of such an incredible program. Hockey has been a big part of my life, and canโt wait to share my love of the game with others.

Goalie Coach - Rachel Dyck

Trainer - Eryn Stewart BIO: My name is Eryn Stewart and I am in my 3rd season as the Interlake Lightning U18 female trainer. I recently graduated with my Masters in Physiotherapy in 2023. I grew up playing hockey in Stonewall, playing U15 AAA with the Interlake Ice, and then playing U18 AAA with the Central Plains Capitals where we won the league championship and went to the Esso Cup in 2015. For university I attended the State University of New York at Oswego where I played 4 years of Division III hockey and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2020. I enjoy giving back to the hockey community that helped me when I was growing up, and I love working with talented young athletes to get them to their full potential in sport and life!
Team | Record | OTL | Home | Away | Pts | GF | GA | Last 10 | Streak | Win % |
Interlake Lightning U18 | 12-32-1 | 4 | 10-17 | 2-15-1 | 29 | 84 | 149 | 1-9 | Lost 3 | .278 |