Hailey Carothers rookie season shined

Hailey Carothers rookie season shined above the rest in the ACAC in 2023.

The first-year forward from Lac La Biche was named Female Rookie of the Year across all ACAC sports. This comes after she made the ACAC All Conference squad and won both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in women's hockey.

Carothers earned those honours after leading the league in goals (19), points (27), power goals (4) and hattricks (2). In the process, she helped lead Lakeland's hockey team to a playoff berth and a bronze medal finish in its inaugural ACAC campaign.

Rustlers Head Coach Morgan Mann credited Carothers for how quickly she adapted the college game. "Hailey adjusted to the speed and skill of the ACAC quickly," Mann said. "She is a gifted natural athlete with an exceptional offensive skill set."

In February, the rookie forward had her best performance of the season, scoring three goals and adding an assist in a 9-3 victory over the SAIT Trojans. She also scored her team's lone goal in their final game of the year, a 3-1 loss to the eventual champion RDP Queens.

Mann noted Carothers' passion is a big part of why further success is ahead. "She will continue to improve as a player because of her strong work ethic and willingness to learn," he said. "But most importantly, she loves the game!"

The 2023 ACAC Female Rookie of the Year is taking Lakeland's University Transfer program.