Making Blazers history - Smith earns PRESTIGIOUS award
For the first time in program history, the distinguished JWHL Elizabeth 'Liz' Turgeon Memorial Player of the Year Award has been given to a member of the Balmoral Hall Blazers U-19 team.
Blazers forward Morgan Smith received the honour of the JWHL Player of the Year title after leading her Balmoral Hall squad to an eye-catching 39-12-4 record (82 points) as the team’s captain and showing off her talented knack for scoring in the process.
Referred to as “Mo” around the rink by her coaches and peers, Smith amounted to an impressive total of 96 points this season for Balmoral Hall, recording 48 goals and 48 assists on the year.
And to say this is the first time the 18-year-old has demonstrated her high offensive ceiling to head coach Sarah Zacharias and her Blazers teammates would be a foolish mistake.
In fact, in the 2022-23 season with Balmoral Hall, Smith actually topped this season’s scoring mark, registering an astounding 50 goals and 63 assists for 113 points as just a junior in high school.
Of course, 17 points less this year doesn’t take away from the incredible season Smith has had, but only points to her incredible offensive gifts at such a young age.
Hailing from East St. Paul, MB., the left-shooting winger possesses a perilous shot, strong footspeed, and elite vision. These attributes give Smith all the makings of an elite offensive producer, and that’s why she is a threat to score from anywhere on the ice.
And those on-ice qualities really came out to shine for Balmoral Hall in the 2024 JWHL Challenge Cup in Washington, D.C. Smith racked up six goals and two assists for eight points in just five tournament games for the Blazers.
“Mo” also served to be the “Queen of special teams” for her team in the Challenge Cup, as she scored two of the team’s four power play goals and registered the team’s only shorthanded goal of the tournament.
Smith’s determined efforts led her Blazers to a 2-1-2 record; however, it proved to be not enough after they bowed out in the semifinals to Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep team, who went on to win the Challenge Cup, carrying a practically flawless record of 5-0-1.
The next stop for Smith is Bemidji, MN., where she will play NCAA Division I level hockey for the Bemidji State Beavers under newly hired head coach Amber Fryklund.
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