Women’s Hockey Panthers confirm recruits for fall 2015

The University of Prince Edward Island Women's Hockey Panthers have received commitments from two recruits for the 2015 season.

Coach Bruce Donaldson announced today that he has signed Ashtyn Bartlett and Andie Boeckman.

Bartlett is an honours student at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The Durham Bridge, New Brunswick native started her hockey career at age five with the Stanley Bulldogs organization and has lived for the game ever since. Team Captain of the Bobcats, Bartlett is having a very strong start to her season, scoring nine goals and earning nine assists to date. Her team is currently in first place in the Lakes Region Prep school division. Bartlett earned a coveted spot on the All Tournament Team at the New England prep school Cushing Tournament in Ashburnham, Mass in December.

Bartlett comments, 'I'm thrilled to be returning to Canada to attend a first rate university like UPEI and play with a hockey team that will develop and become a top AUS contender'.

'Ashtyn will be a big addition to our program', says Coach Donaldson, 'She is gifted offensively and is presently playing in the US with Brewster Academy. Current Panther Jessie Howard played at Brewster as well. It's a strong program in a very competitive league. Ashtyn is a team leader who has great hands, see's the ice well, and is very creative in her playmaking skills'.

Bartlett is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program and plans to earn her Bachelor of Education degree.

Coach Donaldson is excited to also add Andie Boeckman, a forward from The Edge Hockey Academy in Calgary. 'Andie will be great for our program-she brings a strong skill level and will add size, speed and offensive talent to our lineup.' The Edge program plays in Western Canada's Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL), one of the most competitive leagues in the country.

For Boeckman, a move to Cochrane, Alberta in 2007 gave her the opportunity to make the jump from male to female hockey. 'I then played on my local female team until getting the chance to play on a bantam AAA team out of High River-the Rocky Mountain Raiders, ' she says. 'After winning the Alberta provincials with them, I was given the chance to play with the Edge School in my grade 10 year.'

She added about her decision to play for UPEI, 'All my life as a hockey player I have been working hard to see where hockey would take me, and I can't think of a better place to have ended up, it's the accomplishment of past goals, and the beginning of new ones. I cannot wait to start my life at the University of Prince Edward Island'. Boeckman is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program.

The Panthers are in the hunt for a playoff position with three games remaining in the AUS regular season schedule.

About UPEI Athletics and Recreation

• Nine varsity sports and six club team programs
• Proud member of the AUS and CIS
• Athletic facilities include: Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
• Home of Panther Sports Medicine
• Other facilities available to students and the community at large include: fitness centre, squash and racquetball courts, competition and leisure pool with hot tub, and two ice arenas