The Women’s Hockey team may have taken a step back in the standings this season, but Head Coach Morgan McHaffie, ArtSci ’14, sees the setbacks as part of the natural growing pains as she completes her second season leading the program.
McHaffie has been a fixture in the Gaels’ hockey program for 15 years, beginning as a player in 2009-10. During her time on the ice, she led the Gaels to two OUA gold medals in 2010-11 and 2011-12, amassing an impressive 153 points over 128 career games.
After retiring in 2014, McHaffie transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant coach before stepping into the head coaching role mid-season in 2023-24. Now, with a full year behind her, she’s finally starting to feel like she’s in control of her team.
“I’ve always felt tied to the program, and that’s because I did have some involvement with some of the recruiting previously. […] But I just think having the ability to make all the decisions with regards to how we’re going to implement our structure, the teaching points, and those things was really great,” McHaffie said in an interview with The Journal.
While the Gaels had a disappointing season, finishing with an 11-19-0 record through the regular season, they were able to keep most of their games competitive and managed to reach the second round of the OUA playoffs, where they lost to the Nipissing Lakers.
Coaching transitions can be difficult, as teams rely on established systems and tactics. When a new philosophy is introduced, growing pains are inevitable—something the Women’s Hockey team experienced this season.
McHaffie is well aware of the difficulties that come with change and has been implementing a new style of play focused on creativity and puck possession.
“As a coach, I like to see us playing a bit more of a possession game, or with a higher level of creativity,” McHaffie said. “If we have nothing forward, bring the puck back and a different structure around practices.”
While the season was filled with many losses, there were a few bright spots for the Gaels. Emma Tennant, Sci ’26, asserted herself as a reliable goaltender and one of the best in the league, ranking second overall in saves with 781 and posting a .928 save percentage.
Forward Mikayla Cranney, ArtSci ’27, has also grown into her own this season, leading the team with 18 points in 26 games. A dynamic playmaker, Cranney recorded a team-high 12 assists in the season, proving her ability to set up teammates while creating opportunities for herself.
With an incoming recruiting class featuring speed, size, and offensive poise, McHaffie is optimistic about next season, as it aligns with her vision of a puck-possession system.
McHaffie looks forward to her continued growth with the program and the Kingston community and is extremely grateful for all the the Women’s Hockey team has been lucky enough to receive and give over these past couple of seasons.
“I just appreciate everyone’s all year long,” McHaffie said. “I love how we’ve started to really get involved with the community. We’ve had a lot of Kingston Ice Wolves out, and the Gananoque community and some of those areas are continuing to increase . Hopefully, in the case of the Memorial Centre, the City of Kingston will help with doing some upgrades on the rink because that has been a huge challenge at times.”
With McHaffie’s leadership and a fresh wave of talent incoming, the Gaels are poised for a stronger, more competitive season ahead.
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