NETMINDERS FROM THE NORTH AMONG BISONS' BEST

Metis goalies Corfield and Fenner backstop unbeaten Bisons.

Scott Taylor
November 2008

Stacey Corfield (left) and Alix Fenner have been solid for the unbeaten Bisons.

Stacey Corfield has been red-hot. In fact, "red-hot" might be an understatement. "White-hot" probably best describes the way Corfield has been playing goal in recent weeks.

Truth is, until Dayna Janzen of the Lethbridge University Pronghorns put a puck past Corfield at the 19:27 mark of the first period last Saturday night (Nov. 22), the diminutive Bisons goaltender had delivered 215 minutes and 46 seconds of shutout hockey.

Backstopped by the tiny netminder from Gillam, Man., the Bisons have gone undefeated this season (12-0) and are clearly one of the top two or three teams in the nation.

Still, for Stacey Corfield, it's all just another day between the pipes.

"In the first game (of the streak), I only saw eight shots," she said modestly. "The second game there were more shots, but not that many.

"In the third game, I think I could honestly say I was in the zone. There are certain games when you just see the puck well and you figure every puck is going to hit you. That's how I felt in the third game of the streak. I didn't think anybody could score on me."

For Corfield, and her netminding backup, Alix Fenner, it's been quite a run to the top of the national women's hockey rankings. Heading into last weekend, the Bisons were No. 3 in the country behind No. 1 McGill and No. 2 Laurier. Considering that both the team's young goaltenders are of Metis heritage and come from small towns in Northern Manitoba, it might have been a longer run than many would have expected.

But not for Corfield or Fenner. Both young women credit the opportunities that were made available to them in the north as major reasons why they're successful today.

Corfield, who grew up in Gillam, MB, is proud to backstop one of the top defensive teams in the country.

"I grew up in Gillam and was about 5-years-old when I started to play," said Corfield, who moved to Winnipeg when she started Grade 9. "I played all guys hockey up north and I think that made me tougher. When I came to Winnipeg I played for Dakota High School and the St. Vital Victorias, but when I got here, I'd already had a lot of experience and was able to step right in. In the north, you play just about every day with different teams. There are plenty of opportunities to play the game."

"I played mostly boys hockey, too," said Fenner, who was born and raised in The Pas. "We both played for the Flin Flon girls, but mostly I played with the guys right through until I came here (the U of M)."

For Bisons head coach Jon Rempel, both young goaltenders have given him everything he expected. However, Corfield's brilliance and Fenner's attack on the learning curve have really stood out in a season in which he was initially worried about his depth in goal.

"Stacey was always going to be my starter and she's been just stellar," Rempel said. "But I lost a fifth-year goalie to graduation and another girl decided not to play so I was in a little trouble before the season. But Alix came along and she's been great. She wasn't a girl we recruited, but she's really been great to coach and she loves to learn. She's developed a lot more rapidly than we expected."

That's true, but it's still going to be tough for Fenner next season. Not only will Rempel have Corfield back for a fifth-year, but he's already recruited the No. 1 and No. 2 goalies off the provincial under-18 team – First Nations' star Tara Lacquette from Mallard, Man., and the highly-regarded Leiette Klassen from Altona.

"I have both Tara and Klassen coming next year so it's going to be a challenge for Alix, but she's pretty tough and she's getting better all the time," said Rempel. "From not having enough goalies, we'll go to an abundance of goalies in one year. It's a nice problem to have.

Coach Rempel (seen here at practice with Corfield and Fenner) says of his starter: "She's definitely one of our team leaders right now."

"But right now, clearly, our No. 1 is Stacey. She's turned into a mature person and a mature athlete and it shows. She's definitely one of our team leaders right now."

Rempel is amazed at Corfield's improvement over the last four seasons and thanks to the work of goalie coach Matt Cockell (a former draft choice of the Vancouver Canucks) she's become more confident and more skilled.

"The thing about Stacey is that, because of her work with Matt, she's learned to make saves outside her comfort zone," Rempel said. "She's always been a technically sound goaltender and she's worked hard on her skills, but in the past couple of years, she's learned to make stops when she's not technically perfect. All goalies strive to be technically perfect but Stacey's learned to stop the puck when she's caught out of position or in a vulnerable situation. She's really improved in so many ways."

In February, Corfield will represent Canada at the World University Games in China, the only member of the Bisons to make the national FISU team. It's quite an honour and it's been humbling for the quiet young woman from Gillam.

"Playing at the U of M has been everything and more than I expected," said Corfield, who will graduate in two years with a nursing degree. "When I was young, I always felt that I wanted something out of hockey. Now that I'm going to China in February, it's sometimes hard for me to imagine how far I've come. I'm living my dream and more. Going to China will be the highlight, maybe, of my life.

"I've even tried out for Team Canada and I'm playing on a great team here with great teammates. It's more than I ever dreamed."

And there are some nights when her coaches and her teammates get a lot more than they ever dreamed out of her puck-stopping skills.