Toronto, ON- The Ryerson Rams women’s hockey team’s most successful season in program history came to an end after a well-fought semi-final against the Varsity Blues. Their season ended at the hands of their cross-town rivals, but the Rams have so much to be proud of with this resilient group of players. With the 2019-2020 season officially over, it’s time to look at the top performers for the Rams this season.

1. Rachel Seeley

One of the biggest reasons for Ryerson’s success this season is because of Rachel Seeley and her incredible performance in net. She recorded career-high numbers in save percentage (.924), goals-against average (1.76) and had a dominant 11-4 record. She is the best goaltender the organization has ever seen and it’s not even close. Seeley was a brick wall in net and combined with the Rams’ offensive firepower, it made this team a very dangerous opponent.  

2. Erika Crouse

After being named OUA rookie of the year for her performance last season, there was a lot of pressure on Crouse to build off that year and emerge as the Rams’ next star. Well, she has lived up to expectations, leading the entire league in goals (15) and matching her point production from last season (22). Last year, her numbers were split evenly with 11 goals and 11 assists. This year, she saw a spike in goals and a decrease in assists (15G 7A). We are seeing her evolution as a player as she is now working on her shot and is showing the league that she has a deadly snipe. With so many key veterans graduating this year, including captain Kryshanda Green, Crouse will be relied upon next season to carry the torch and lead the team to new heights. 

3. Kryshanda Green

When Green first joined the Ryerson Rams hockey team, there was not a lot of winning in the organization. Her first season on the team was not great as they had just five wins in the entire year, but after that, the team just kept getting better and better. 2017-18 was Green’s first time in the OUA playoffs and after that, we saw the Rams’ best two seasons in the organization’s history. The 2019-2020 season marks the end of her career as a Ram in which she will go down as one of the best players to ever put on the organization’s jersey.

More importantly, as captain, she set the tone for the team and instilled a winning culture into the locker room. Before her arrival, the Rams had a horrible team that constantly finished near the bottom of the OUA standings every single year. Now, they have made it to the playoffs for three straight seasons and have a bunch of young stars on the rise. Green’s production on the ice may be gone, but her impact on the team’s mentality will continue to be felt.

Conclusion

With the season all wrapped up and players like Green leaving, next year is not much of a worry for head coach Lisa Haley who said, “I have full confidence in the group coming back,” following the team’s final game of the postseason. While these three players stand out, others such as the playoff performance of Lauren Nicholson certainly were important contributors to the Rams. 2019-20 is all said and done, but after the program’s most successful year, the 2020-21 season can’t come soon enough.

Cover Photo: Christian Bender/ Ryerson Rams Athletics