Former Northern Caps goaltender relishing experience with Team Canada

Once the backstop for BC Hockey’s Female Midget Triple-A Northern Capitals, Kelsey Roberts has been dawning the maple leaf this week.

The 20-year-old goaltender from Kitimat was named to Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Development squad in a three-game series against the United States in Lake Placid, New York.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Roberts told MyPGNow. “It’s cliche but you literally cannot describe it. Getting to put on that jersey for the first time, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Kelsey Roberts is one of three goaltenders on the women’s development team after initially being invited to the selection camp earlier this month.

“To get the invite to the camp was amazing. The level of girls that I get to play with, a lot of them have been here for a couple of years and have lots of experience. I just think the level of girls that I get to play with is amazing, you get to learn from everyone.”

With the Caps, Roberts played four years in the blue paint and helped lead the team to back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016.

“That set me up to be able to go to the University of Calgary,” she said.

Ever since her time with the Caps, she’s taken her skills between the pipes at the USPORTS level where she’s been playing under head coach Danielle Goyette with the Dinos.

Last season, she ranked fifth in the country in saves (684) and has ranked in the top five for minutes played of Canada West Women’s Hockey in each of her three seasons with the Dinos. Entering into her fourth year, she’s carrying a 2.06 GAA and .934 Save Percentage.

After not playing in Canada’s 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1 of the series, Roberts got the nod to take her place in the crease for the second game, however, the Canadians were unable to come out with a win.

In the 4-2 loss, Roberts stopped 22 of the 26 shots she faced from the USA.

Game 3 of the series will get played out today (Saturday) at 4 p.m. PST.