WATERLOO, Ont. – The spotlight featured prominently on the UBC Thunderbirds Wednesday night at the U SPORTS Women's Hockey Awards Banquet as
Grace Elliott was named Player of the Year while goaltender
Elise Hugens earned the Marion Hilliard Award for outstanding Student-Athlete Community Service.
Leading the country in goals and points while setting new program records in a dominant offensive coming out party, Elliott is the first Thunderbird to win the Brodrick Trophy having just recently become the second member of the blue and gold to earn Canada West Player of the Year.
It has been a season to remember for the fourth-year who exploded out of the gate and never looked back, driving UBC's conference leading offence. The White Rock, B.C. product led the Thunderbirds with 22 goals and 42 total points while setting program records in both categories previously set by Tatiana Rafter in the 2014-15 season.
"The work Grace has put in and how she competes, every shift she wants to score and she wants to be the best every time she touches the ice and that's special," said UBC head coach
Graham Thomas. "What (Grace and Elise) have both accomplished for the program, it's great for us and UBC as a whole. We're very proud of both of them and the work they've done."
Finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a ten-point lead atop the conference scoring race, Elliott's remarkable season was also one of consistent production. She was never held off the scoresheet for consecutive games, put up multiple points on 12 different occasions with a season-long point streak of 11 games.
Elliott also led the conference in plus/minus with a +28 rating, power play points with 15, and tied for the lead with seven power play goals and six game winning tallies. In addition to her Brodrick Trophy, Elliott was named a first team All-Canadian.
Recently named just the second Thunderbird to win the Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award, Hugens joins Elliott as the first players in program history to win major awards at the national level.
The fourth-year goaltender from Sherwood Park, Alberta has been the backbone of the Thunderbirds on the ice, holding program records for most wins in a season (18), career wins (58) and most career shutouts (21). But her extensive volunteer and community work off the ice has been just as meaningful.
Hugens has made a significant impact through her volunteer work, particularly with SuperHEROS Hockey. This program provides children with cognitive and physical disabilities the opportunity to learn how to skate and play the game. Elise has been a dedicated volunteer with the program for four years, accumulating over 150 volunteer hours while helping the program double in size through her ability to get her teammates and other UBC programs involved.
Beyond hockey, Elise has contributed to the community in numerous ways. She has volunteered with Canuck Place Children's Hospice, providing support and peer mentorship to sick children and their families. She is also an active member of the Thunderbird Athletic Council (TAC) and serves as UBC's representative on the Canada West Student Engagement Council.
"Elise is just so selfless and caring and willing to give back," said Thomas. "The things she's done in the community to make a positive impact is amazing so it's great she's being celebrated for that."
Her passion for giving back extends to the coaching realm, where she has been mentoring aspiring young hockey players since she was 12 years old. This season, she was the goalie coach for the U15 A2 Angels and a coach for the U9 Angels.
Elliott, Hugens and the T-Birds open up the 2025 U SPORTS National Championship with a quarter-final battle against the Bishop's University Gaiters on Friday, March 21 in Elmira, Ontario. Puck drop at the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena is set for 10:00 a.m. PT.
