UPEI Women’s Hockey Panthers welcomes recruits Emily March and Gabrielle Gray
University of Prince Edward Island Women's Hockey coach Bruce Donaldson is excited to announce that Emily March, with the Etobicoke Dolphins in the Ontario PWHL, and Gabrielle Gray, with the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA league, have agreed to join the Panthers in September 2015.
March was born and raised in the city of Toronto. She started playing hockey when she was six years old and fell in love with the game. At 5'10' tall and 165 lbs, she is a formidable presence on the blue line. March has been with the same team and head coach at the Etobicoke Dolphin Association for the last three years, one year in midget AA as a forward, and the last two years, playing defense.
Coach Donaldson says, 'Emily has great size and presence on the blue line and will bring additional strength to our back end. The fact that she has played up front at times is also an added feature in her game.'
March is an honours student at Loretto Abbey Catholic Girls School in Toronto where she also plays on her school team that has won two city championships.
Comments March, 'Not one day goes by where I don't have the opportunity to excitedly tell someone that I will be attending the University of Prince Edward Island and playing as a Panther for the women's hockey team. What an honour! Go Panthers Go!'
Emily is enrolled in the School of Business at UPEI and has a career aspiration to become a lawyer.
Gray plays defence for Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats. In 28 games, Gray has two goals, five assists, and 46 penalty minutes.
Gray grew up on a mixed grain and cattle farm near Brownlee, Saskatchewan. She played lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, fastball, rugby, and figure skated and ran cross-country growing up, but her true passion has always been hockey. Gray began her hockey career in the small town of Craik, playing on boys' teams until grade nine when she was given the opportunity to play for the Wildcats. Gray moved to Swift Current and has lived with a billet family for the past four years.
Coach Donaldson remarks, 'We looked to add some size to our lineup and at 5'9" Gabrielle adds both size and versatility to our defence. She moves the puck very well, reads and reacts to the play making a great first pass and is a ‘team first' type of player.'
Gray comments, 'My goals have always centered around academics and hockey. The opportunity to attend UPEI and play for the Panthers not only fulfills some of those goals but it opens up a whole new set of challenges and possibilities. I can't wait to wear the green and white for the UPEI Panthers.'
Gray is enrolled in UPEI's new School of Sustainable Design Engineering.
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
