RDP Queens captain Kaedence Mollin was named the ACAC 2024-2025 ACAC Women’s Hockey Player of the Year over the weekend.
The third-year defenceman in 25 games this season had 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. Mollin’s 15 assists ranked third and her 25 points were fourth in the ACAC.
“Kaedence has been an excellent on-ice leader for our team. She plays the game with pride and passion,” says Kelly Coulter, RDP Queens Hockey Head Coach and former ACAC Coach of the Year.
“Kaedence is an outstanding 200-foot player who defends very well. She is often tasked with facing the top players from the opposition. She has also been a major driver of our offence with her play on the blue line and attacking off the rush.”
Mollin helped guide the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (18-6-1) to third in ACAC Women’s Hockey during the 2024-2025 regular season.
In addition, Mollin was named ACAC Women’s Hockey Top Scholastic Achiever, an ACAC Women’s Hockey Academic All-Canadian and a member of the ACAC Women’s Hockey First All-Conference team. ACAC Women’s Hockey Academic All-Canadians are student-athletes who achieve academic honours at their respective post-secondary institutions and receive an ACAC All-Conference team selection.
During the Fall 2024 Term, Mollin impressively achieved a 4.0 GPA in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Polytechnic.
In the ACAC Women’s Hockey semifinals, Mollin and the Queens defeated the NAIT Ooks two games to one, advancing to the best-of-five final. In the final, the Queens won Game 1, 1-0, with Mollin scoring the only Queens goal. Tora Ward had 39 saves for the shutout.
In Game 2, Lakeland won 5-1 and Game 3, which was also in Lloydminster, the Rustlers won 4-1. Game 4 will be played at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre on Friday at 7 p.m.
Kings advance to final
The RDP Kings also advanced to the ACAC Final over the weekend.
RDP knocked off the SAIT Trojans in the best-of-three and will now face the Breircrest College Clippers in a best-of-five-series.
The Kings won Game 1 4-3 in overtime Friday, with Clay Sleeva notching the extra-time winner. Sleeva also scored the opening goal of the game, while Chase Haygarth and Kasey Hiemstra had first-period tallies for RDP.
Kristian Lyon made 36 saves for the win.
In Saturday's series-clinching victory, Alex Bernauer scored on the power play in the first and Ryland McNinch added another shorthanded. Jarod Newell added a second period goal for RDP and Nolan Doell added a power play marker to make it 4-1. SAIT scored two goals in the third but that was as close as they would come.
Evan Fradette stepped in for the Kings in the third period and finished the night 13 saves, after Lyon stopped 11 of 12 shots.
The series starts Friday in Saskatchewan, with the first three games at Briercrest, before it shifts to Red Deer for games four and five.
The Kings have won the past two ACAC titles and are looking to make it three in a row.
