VANCOUVER – With the official start to the academic year just days away, the UBC Thunderbirds Women's Hockey program is already near the end of their first week of training camp, featuring one of the team's largest ever recruit classes.
In addition to the two goaltenders and three defencemen donning the blue and gold for the first time this fall, the team has eight new faces at forward for the coming season along with the return of former T-Bird Emma Hall who is back for her final year of eligibility.
"This is definitely the largest incoming class we've ever had," said UBC head coach, Graham Thomas, who's preparing his squad for a busy pre-season before conference play begins the second week of October. "We're excited for the challenge and to have that infusion and influx of youth. They're talented, they're hungry and they're also coming in with a fresh slate."
Sophie Brecht and Maggie Rauckman head to UBC as true freshmen but with plenty of familiarity with each other as teammates the last three seasons with the Battlefords Sharks of the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA league.
"Sophie's going to be our energy bug. She skates really well, she's fast and gritty," said Thomas. "She's on the smaller side but she's going to create havoc out there."
A Saskatoon native, Brecht finished her final season with the Sharks with 16 points (6G, 10A) in 30 regular season games.
"There's a lot of upside for her to grow and develop with our group. She's going to come in more like an Annalise Wong type – quick, fast and agile and get in with pressure."
Also hailing from Saskatoon, Rauckman finished her final two seasons in the Battlefords better than a point per game with a combined 62 points (29G, 33A) in 60 contests.
"Maggie's a bit more of a power forward and I think she'll be ready to contribute offensively pretty quick here," Thomas said. "She's a playmaker and can score and coming in as a teammate of Sophie's will help both of them adjust."
Kate Chuback and Payton Henwood are another pair of teammates, both having played with Winnipeg's Balmoral Hall U18 prep squad.
The two finished last season as the team's top scorers, Henwood leading the way with 43 points in 28 regular season games (13G, 30A) while Chuback set the pace with 25 goals along with 16 assists for 41 points.
"Payton's a two-way forward with good size. She can play up the middle or on the wing and be a playmaker with potential to put pucks in the net. She's responsible as a two-way player as well."
"Kate's a bit smaller in stature but she's strong. She has more of a shoot-first mentality and is a natural goal scorer. She and Payton play well with each other and we might just try them together in the pre-season and find a complementary player to go along with them. They'll be exciting to watch."
Cassie Carvalho marks another Manitoba product as part of this year's recruit class. Playing for her hometown U18 Winnipeg Ice of the MFHL, she scored 19 goals with 15 assists for 34 points in 27 regular season games in 2025-26.
"Cassie's a natural goal scorer. She played on team Manitoba, she did well there and put up points and has played in some key situations. She's done a really good job at answering the bell when called upon. She's got size and strength and definitely offensive upside."
Emma Kohl hails from Fruitvale, B.C. but spent the last two seasons with Delta Hockey Academy.
In 2025-26, Kohl amassed 32 points (10G, 22A) in 30 regular season games.
"She's another power forward who can get in there and create havoc and can score. She has ability to play two-way as well. She's strong and physical and not afraid to use her size to get in on the forecheck. With Emma being based locally we've seen her a bit more and there will be some familiarity for her with our group as well."
Tayah Wallace from Sherwood Park, Alberta has championship pedigree with her hometown Edmonton Jr. Oilers program having won the 2025 Esso Cup National Championship alongside fellow T-Bird rookie goaltender, Ella Dunham-Fox.
Following her final U18 season, Wallace headed to the Barrie Sharks of the U22 Ontario Women's Hockey League where she produced 30 points (14G, 16A) in 30 games.
"Tayah went out to Barrie and has developed really well the last couple years. Similar to Vanessa Schaefer, coming in a little older will serve her well. She put up a lot of points in a strong league and we're expecting her to contribute and have a great career here at UBC. She's strong and also defensively responsible."
Chilliwack, B.C.'s Hannah Dods is a third-year transfer having played two years of NCAA Division I with Lindenwood University.
"We're really excited about Hannah joining us. She brings some veteran presence with a couple years of NCAA under her belt and was a leader at Lindenwood so she'll help with a younger group. She's also finding her offensive game over the last year or so, so we're definitely going to be looking for her to step in and provide a big role both on and off the ice."
Rounding out UBC's forward recruit class is not a recruit in the traditional sense in that Emma Hall makes her return to the blue and gold following three years of professional hockey in Europe.
Playing 66 games for the 'Birds between 2018-19 and 2022-23, the Maple Ridge, B.C. native spent time in Sweden's NDHL, Finland's Auroraliiga and, most recently, the European Women's Hockey League.
With her Austrian squad last season, Hall scored 10 goals with 10 assists in 22 regular season games in the EWHL.
"I'm really excited to have Emma back with us. She was so committed during her time here and has such a strong skill set. She's always wanted to contribute more and have a bigger role here at UBC and with such a young group this is such a great opportunity for her."
These nine forward additions along with the program's two goaltenders and three defensive recruits will get their first opportunity for pre-season action next weekend when they battle Rink Academy and Delta Hockey Academy at Father Bauer Arena.
The defending Canada West champion T-Birds open up the 2026-27 conference season Friday, October 9 against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.
