More To Come For Hunter After Spectacular First Season At St. Thomas University

Marandee Hunter tracks the puck for the St. Thomas Tommies – Photo by SRM Photography

Marandee Hunter has blossomed as a goaltender out of a group of spectacular netminders graduating from Chatham’s girls hockey program.

She joins a list of former Chatham Outlaws goalies including Jessie McPerson (Vermont, NCAA), Emma Gorski (Merrimack, NCAA), Erica Fryer (Toronto, OUA), and Taylor Meloche (Kitchener-Waterloo, PWHL) who have advanced and excelled.

Hunter recently finished her first season with the St. Thomas University Tommies of the AUS. According to Hunter, once her nerves settled, she was able to show her ability at the next level.

“I was very nervous coming in because I didn’t really know what to expect, but after a couple of games I started to get better because I was adjusting to the pace,” said Hunter.

“It was hard to get started because we were on the ice everyday and had workouts some days, it was tough to keep up, but soon it became routine. I was also very thankful that I was coming in with another first year goalie because it meant I got a lot of ice time which meant I would get better faster than other goalies who don’t get to play much in their first years.”

Hunter went 8-4-0 in her rookie campaign, and finished third in the AUS in save percentage with a sparkling .939 total, and fourth in the AUS in GAA sitting at 1.57.

“When I saw that I was one of the league leaders I felt really proud of myself knowing that I was adjusting well and keeping up,” she said of seeing herself among the top goaltenders in the league. “I was thankful for having an amazing goalie coach at the university to help me become a better goaltender. My compete level coming into the season was really high because I wanted to prove to everyone that I was a good goalie and because I had great goalie partner that pushed me every time to get better.”

Hunter, who was playing her first season of Midget ‘AA’ hockey the season prior, has always worked hard to prove herself, and with the offseason ahead, she’s focused on getting stronger to continue her upward trajectory next season.

“In our off season we are given a workout training program. I will also be doing a lot of running and cardio exercises to keep in shape. The workout program also helps build muscle for the next season. I will also be attending private goalie lessons to keep me familiar with the ice and my technique.”

“My goal is to push myself harder and work a lot on my technique so I take up more net. My biggest goal is to be the playoff starter next year for St. Thomas University.”

If Hunter’s drive and passion for the game are any indication, she’ll be achieving and exceeding her goals in no time.