Kamloops product Kendra Woodland has finally broken through into the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
After agreeing to a try-out contract this summer with the Ottawa Charge, the 25 year-old U-Sports decorated athlete has signed a one-year deal for the new season. The Charge open the PWHL campaign at home Saturday night against the New York Sirens.
Woodland told NL Sports she was giving it one more shot, after being passed over in two PWHL Drafts. The former five-year ‘tender for the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds has spent the past couple years in Kamloops trying to keep her game sharp while waiting for her opportunity.
After turning in a .960 save percentage and a 1.10 GAA in the 2022-23 campaign for UNB in Fredericton to capture her U-Sports MVP award, she would follow that up with an 11-5 regular season in 2023-24. Her career was also disrupted by Covid from 2020 to 2022 while playing University Athletics.
Woodland will compete against two other Ottawa goaltenders in Sanni Ahola and returning veteran Gwyneth Philips. Ahola is a PWHL rookie after being drafted in the 5th round by Ottawa. The Finnish netminder played NCAA hockey at St. Cloud State. Philips returns as the starter after going 8-5-1 last regular season with a 2.11 GAA and a .919 save %. She also posted a 1.23 GAA and a .952 save % in the playoffs.
