The Central Energy softball program enjoyed a successful weekend at the Wheat City Classic in Brandon, with the U15 squad finishing fourth and the U17 team capturing silver medals against some of the top competition in Western Canada.
The U17 Energy advanced all the way to the championship game before falling 14-5 to the Eastman Wildcats in the final. Despite the result, Central turned in an impressive tournament performance that included four consecutive victories on its road to the gold-medal game.
Central opened the tournament Friday with a 5-4 win over Smitty’s Terminators. Taryn Toews drove in two runs while Addison Nikkel collected three hits. Kennedy Funk struck out eight batters over four innings and the Energy defence played error-free softball.
The Energy followed that up with an 8-1 victory over Moose Jaw ICE. Taylor Wall led the offence with three hits, including a triple and double, while Blaine Wiebe and Nikkel combined to limit Moose Jaw to just two hits.
On Saturday, Central defeated the Eastman Wildcats 12-5 behind a huge performance from Shyanne Goertzen, who blasted two home runs and drove in four runs. The Energy pounded out 15 hits, with Wall, Toews, Nikkel and Ella Conrad all collecting multiple hits.
The club continued its strong play later that day with a dominant 16-1 victory over Westman Magic. Nikkel drove in four runs, including a first-inning home run, while Goertzen, Mya Richard and Conrad also had multi-hit games. Central finished with 16 hits and played another error-free contest.
In the championship game, Conrad gave Central an early lead with a leadoff home run before Eastman’s powerful offence took control. Goertzen stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-3 and launching her fourth home run of the weekend. Funk was named defensive player of the game after making several strong plays at second base, including an outstanding catch in shallow right field.
The U15 Energy also enjoyed a strong showing, posting a 3-3 record and finishing fourth overall. Central opened with a 10-7 victory over the Winnipeg Lightning as Reese Fotheringham and Lindsay French each drove in two runs. Lexi Kemp was outstanding in relief, striking out seven over four innings.
After a dramatic 12-10 walk-off loss to White Butte Storm, the Energy bounced back Saturday with an 11-3 win over the Southeast Sundevils. Central collected 13 hits in the contest, with Renna Toews driving in three runs and Kemp, Kylie Wiebe, Beaudry English and Brady Wiebe all recording multi-hit performances.
The U15 squad also received strong individual performances throughout the weekend. English drove in five runs in a narrow loss to White Butte, while Central collected 14 hits in a hard-fought game against Westman Magic despite falling 9-4.
At the U13 level, Central finished with a 3-2-1 record and narrowly missed advancing to Sunday play. The team recorded wins over White Butte Storm, Twin City Angels and Saskatoon Raiders while earning a tie against Regina Royals. Hailyn P was among the standout performers, collecting three doubles against Regina and later hitting a game-winning home run against Saskatoon.
Elm Creek native Corinne Schroeder will continue her professional hockey career on the West Coast after signing with PWHL expansion franchise San Jose.
The signing follows an emotional expansion process that saw Schroeder left unprotected by the Seattle Torrent, where she played during the 2025-26 season.
The signing comes after an emotional expansion process that saw Schroeder left unprotected by the Seattle Torrent, the club she played for during the 2025-26 season.
“It was very emotional for me to not have been protected by Seattle,” Schroeder said. “The turnaround between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the expansion process was very quick, so that also was very difficult mentally and emotionally to start evaluating new options.”
Despite the uncertainty, the Manitoba goaltender attracted interest from multiple expansion teams.
“It was very exciting to have interest from multiple expansion teams, especially San Jose,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time in Seattle last season, so staying on the west coast was very appealing to me and made San Jose an ideal spot for me.”
Schroeder said she is eager to embrace the challenge of helping establish another franchise while continuing to grow the women’s game.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to have found a new home with San Jose, and to have the opportunity to build a new franchise and grow the game of hockey in the Bay Area,” she said.
The move marks the latest chapter in an impressive hockey career that has taken Schroeder from rural Manitoba to the highest level of women’s professional hockey.
Before joining Seattle, she spent two seasons in New York, first with the league’s inaugural New York team and later with the New York Sirens.
Over three PWHL seasons, Schroeder has posted a .921 save percentage, a 2.46 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Her strongest professional season came during the PWHL’s inaugural campaign in 2024, when she posted a .930 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average.
Schroeder’s success extends well beyond the PWHL. In 2022-23, she was named both Goaltender of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the Premier Hockey Federation while playing for the Boston Pride. That season, she led all PHF goaltenders with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.
Her collegiate career was equally impressive. Schroeder was a finalist for NCAA Women’s Goaltender of the Year in 2021-22 at Quinnipiac University and earned multiple Hockey East all-star selections during her time at Boston University. Internationally, she also won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
While the accolades are significant, Schroeder said representing her hometown region remains one of the most meaningful aspects of her career.
“It’s incredibly exciting that I get to represent our community and show that there is a future in hockey for young girls regardless of where they are from,” she said.
As women’s hockey continues to grow, Schroeder’s journey serves as an example for young athletes throughout Manitoba that success is possible regardless of where they begin.
From Elm Creek to the professional ranks, she has helped break barriers for female athletes while demonstrating that determination, hard work and perseverance can open doors to opportunities once thought impossible.
As she prepares for her first season in San Jose, Schroeder hopes to make an immediate impact both on and off the ice.
“I hope to manage the transition to a new team and market as seamlessly as possible and make an immediate impact on the ice for the team,” she said.
She also expressed gratitude to the communities that have supported her throughout her career.
“I’m incredibly excited for this new opportunity in San Jose and am so grateful for all the love and support I continually receive from the people in Elm Creek, Carman, the Pembina Valley region and across Manitoba.”
