Lethbridge’s Kendal Davidson commits to NCAA Division I women’s hockey program

By James Tubb - SOUTHERN ALBERTA NEWSPAPERS on November 16, 2022.

Southern Alberta Newspapers photo - South Alberta Hockey Academy blueliner Kendal Davidson sits between her head coach Evan Vossen and general manager and program development coordinator Darren MacMillan while signing her commitment paper to Union College.

Last Wednesday was a big day for the South Alberta Hockey Academy and blueliner Kendal Davidson.

The 17-year-old Lethbridge product signed with Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., becoming the first athlete in the SAHA program history to sign a NCAA Division I national letter of intent.

She committed to the school verbally in May but was beyond excited to put pen to paper Wednesday.

“It makes it feel like my hard work has paid off and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” Davidson said. “I was even texting my dad this morning and he said, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I said, ‘I couldn’t have done it without you. Back in Timbits, the 6 a.m. practices, I wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t for you guys.’ So it starts with them.”

Davidson has had a strong start to her Canadian Sport School Hockey League season with the SAHA U18 women’s team, putting up six goals and six assists in 13 games. Last season she received a nomination for the league’s top defender after an 11-goal, 19-point campaign in 25 games.

SAHA head coach Evan Vossen is happy to see Davidson get rewarded for her hard work, and was not surprised with the signing given her play on the ice and who she is away from the rink.

“First of all you don’t find too many 6-foot-1 females who can skate and shoot the puck like she does. There’s obviously those pieces but her drive and her competitiveness, she’s really grown quite a bit with that and she’s just excelled because of it,” Vossen said.

“When you’re looking at building a program, much like we did with her in our first year and when she was 15, that’s something that Union sees as being a real solid pillar. Not only for the program next year, but also to kind of build around and continue their goal of becoming a stronger contender year after year.”

Davidson is one of SAHA’s original players since the program started up in 2020. The first season (2020-21) was limited due to COVID-19 but they were able to play last season and get back to full action this year. General manager and program development co-ordinator Darren MacMillan says everyone involved is happy for Davidson and the program to have an honour like this.

“Because our program is still in its infancy, every milestone we have is significant for us, and Kendal will be our first NCAA division I (signing) and it’s extremely exciting,” MacMillan said.

Vossen said the signing gives them a sense that they’re doing something right helping to develop their student athletes.

“It’s fantastic to see what’s going on here, we’re doing the right thing and helping out,” Vossen said. “That would even span not just on-ice development but also off ice and the academic piece as well with Kendal and the rest of the student athletes we have here. Hopefully we’re setting them up for good spots later on, whether that’s in hockey or life.”

She will be studying a major in mechanical engineering and a minor in astrophysics and is already looking forward to it.

“I visited there in May and it’s a very small campus, like around 2,500 kids,” Davidson said. “Some very nice people, the hockey program is everything I want, the schooling itself has everything I’m looking for. It just fit me perfectly.”

She still has the rest of the CSSHL season in SAHA blue ahead of her before she will don the Union College Garnet red jerseys, and isn’t going to change anything until then.

“I’m not going to look at it (this year) any differently, I still have lots to get done here and lots to prove here,” Davidson said.