VANCOUVER – Featuring the most significant roster turnover in well over a decade, the UBC Thunderbirds Women's Hockey program will have a brand new look entering a new era of sorts this fall.
Like any successful program, building from the back end out is critical for long-term success, and the program is welcoming in two goaltenders and three defencemen to help do just that.
Netminders Adriana Almeida and Ella Dunham-Fox join defenders Leila Sinclair, Anslei Thistle and Alyssa Worsley as the new components of the T-Birds' defensive backbone, all of whom bring plenty of skill and experience to the defending Canada West champions.
"We graduated the largest class in my time here and probably in program history but we were able to retain some pieces, bring in some older pieces and we're really happy with how it's rounding out," said UBC head coach, Graham Thomas, set to enter his 15th season with the T-Birds. "This is the biggest change we've had but we're really excited about the challenge. Having such a young group now, for our coaching staff and me in particular, I'm really looking forward to it. We've been the team to beat for the last five years or so and now maybe it's a bit of a something to prove year for us. We've left the dessert on the table at the end of each of the runs we've had over the last few years too, so that's also motivating with a young team and a talented group."
The program graduated a total of 12 players from last year's conference championship roster including five-year goaltender
Elise Hugens who set new program marks for wins, shutouts, save percentage and goals against average.
Hugens' former crease partner, Mya Lucifora, returns for her third season and with plenty of experience of her own as she'll now be joined in the UBC goaltending union by two freshmen in Almeida and Dunham-Fox.
Adriana Almeida hails from Winnipeg and spent the last two seasons tending goal for her hometown Avros of the MFHL. Her numbers in her final U18 season are eyepopping to say the least, boasting a 2.04 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. Through four playoff appearances, she one-upped her regular season with a 1.49 GAA and a .950 save percentage.
"She's a competitor, she moves extremely well," said Thomas. "All three of our goalies are very different and that should make it challenging for opposing teams giving them different looks. Adriana catches right, she's smooth skating, moves well laterally and has had a great career putting her team on her back."
Almeida, who's enrolled in UBC's Faculty of Arts, was also named MFHL U18 Playoff MVP in 2024-25.
Ella Dunham-Fox had an outstanding U18 career with her hometown Edmonton Junior Oilers, winning the 2025 Esso Cup national championship.
Moving west to play with the Delta Hockey Academy's U18 Prep squad in the CSSHL, Dunham-Fox produced a 12-2-1 record last season with a 2.12 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.
"Ella is a little bit older, coming in as a 19 year-old and played under Mark Taylor at Delta last year and had a great year," said Thomas. "She's won a national championship and had a great run in the CSSHL so she's had some great experiences and has been pushed. She shows a lot of promise. Along with Mya's experience and with the addition of Adriana and Ella, we're going to be in good hands in goal."
Dunham-Fox is also set to study Arts at UBC this fall.
Leila Sinclair is a 5-foot-6 defender from Markham, Ontario who played the previous three seasons with the Toronto Leaside Wildcats of the OWHL.
A two-way blue liner, Sinclair produced four goals and 22 assists in 47 regular season games last season and scored another three goals along with three assists in nine playoff contests.
"She comes from a great league in Ontario and a great program. She's got some decent size to her as well and is a strong skater," said Thomas. "She's got that offensive upside and it'll be interesting to see how she translates that. It can be hard coming from out east but we have a few others on the team that can help her transition to the change moving out west and into a different environment at school and all those new challenges. She's mature and we're confident she'll settle in just fine and be steady for us back there."
Sinclair will begin her academic pursuits in UBC's Sauder School of Business.
Anslei Thistle is a right-shot defenceman from St. Albert, Alberta. She played her final season of AFHL U18 for the St. Albert Slash, adding eight points in 28 regular season games.
"We got to see her at one of our ID camps. She's a great person and teammate and sees the ice well," said Thomas of the 5-foot-7 Thistle. "The difference with her is being right-handed where we only have a couple of right-handed D, so that can definitely help us out. She's got a lot of potential. If she can adjust well to the speed and level and physicality, she's going to do really well."
Thistle will study in the Faculty of Arts starting next month.
Alyssa Worsley has much less distance to cover to head to her new hockey home, hailing from Richmond.
Following a couple seasons with the Greater Vancouver Comets, Worsley moved to Vancouver Island where she attended and played for Shawnigan Lake School's U18 program.
Last season she led her team in defender scoring with 21 points in 30 regular season games, adding another four goals and three assists in just four playoff contests and was named a CSSHL second-team All-Star.
"Being local and having already experienced living away from home and dealing with the rigors of academics will serve her well," Thomas said. "She's smaller in stature but she doesn't play that way, she's physical and plays tough. She competes really hard and also has offensive upside, playing both penalty kill and power play last year. We're really excited for her to come in."
Having lost Meadow Carman, Ashton Thorpe, Sophia Gaskell and Kailee Peppler to graduation, there's plenty of opportunity for the incoming defenders to battle for playing time.
"There's three rookies and two jobs essentially," said Thomas. "Not taking anything away from the vets, they have to earn it too, but we have three D for two playing spots and it's going to be competitive for the rookies coming in."
The T-Birds hit the ice for their first pre-season action Friday, September 11 when they host Kelowna's Rink Academy for a weekend tournament also involving Delta Academy and Trinity Western.
UBC opens up the 2026-27 Canada West regular season on Friday, October 9 against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.
