Tatiana Rafter Head Coach 2023/2024 BIO: With the UBC Thunderbirds, Rafter became the first player in program history to be named Canada West Player of the Year. Obtaining the honor in 2014, Rafter was not only the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds, she paced all players in the Canada West conference in goals (20), assists (18), points (38), power play goals (9), shorthanded goals (2), and game winning goals (6). Of note, Rafter was also the Thunderbirds leading scorer in 2013 and 2015. In the aftermath of the 2012–13 campaign, she compiled 13 goals and 10 assists, along with seven goals and five assists in 10 playoff games. During said campaign, she was selected to play for the Canadian women’s ice hockey team that participated at the 2013 Winter Universiade. Along with Thunderbirds teammate Christi Capozzi, the two contributed towards Canada winning the gold medal. The last goal of her Thunderbirds career came on her birthday, February 27, in 2015 during a postseason match against the Manitoba Bisons. The following day, she would register her last career point with the Thunderbirds, an assist against Manitoba. Rafter would finish the 2014–15 season as the third leading scorer in Canada West play with 29 points. Of note, she would lead UBC in goals, assists and points, while placing on the Canada West Second-Team All-Stars. Rafter would graduate from UBC in 2015 with 116 career points, on the strength of 61 goals. Her playing career extended four additional seasons playing in the National Women’s Hockey League in New York for the Buffalo Beauts(2015-16) and New York Riveters(2016-18) as well as the Russian Women’s Professional Hockey League in St. Petersburg, Russia for the 2018-19 season. She was injured badly at the end of this season snapping her abdominal muscles from overtraining and it had taken a lot of physical therapy to walk, and then get back on the ice as a coach following the career ending injury. During this time period the CWHL folded and this sparked players movements, and when faced with these circumstances and an injury requiring long- term rehabilitation, Rafter decided to make the transition from playing professional hockey to coaching and player development as well as starting a career in finance. Rafter’s first head coaching experience followed six months after sustaining the abdominal injury and she decided to take an opportunity to lead Danish player development in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was named the Head Coach of Hvidovre, a local danish team as well as the Danmark Elite for the 2019-20 season. She led the Elite Danmark team to securing a playoff spot in the squad’s debut EWHL season. Since that season and the beginning of the global pandemic, Rafter moved back to her hometown of Winnipeg Manitoba and started a family while coaching the Interlake Lightning U18 AAA F in the 2020-2021 season. She coached on the ice until reaching 43 weeks into the pregnancy, and the rest of the season the two assistants took over after the birth of her son, Jackson. Now fast forward to current day, Rafter now a mom of 2 year old Jackson Major is ready to get back into the mix. “I am so excited to return as Head Coach of the Interlake Lightning U18 AAA F program for the 2023-24 season. I am really viewing coaching through many different lenses; as a parent, working finance professional, former collegiate student-athlete, former professional hockey player and it really creates so much more meaning to life and the role of a coach. It’s nice to not miss playing and be able to channel my creative energy into something positive in my hometown and community. My main aspiration going into this season is to continue to further the progress of hockey programs in Stonewall and have an absolute blast doing it. I am really excited about creating a tight knit culture, working with our great coaching staff and managers. Facilitating growth and development for young women is a driver for me personally and it is a blessing to work with the group of up and coming Interlake athletes this season. What an amazing opportunity. Time to get to work”

Sam Strassburger Assistant Coach 2023/2024 BIO: Let me introduce myself, my name is Sam Strassburger and this will be my second year as Assistant Coach with the U18 Female Interlake Lightning. I am a graduate from Nipissing University with a Bachelor of Physical Health and Education where I played 5 years varsity hockey for the Nipissing Lakers in the OUA. While playing for Nipissing I was a Quest for Gold Recipient for multiple years which gave me my first look at coaching as I volunteered to coach U16 Team Ontarios for the Canada Winter Games. I am currently back in school finishing up massage therapy and hope to use that profession in the sports world. Coaching has been a way for me to give back to the hockey community and to keep my self in the arena! I have a great passion for helping educate and develop the girls for that next level in life, both as an athlete and person!

Assistant Coach - Sam Brownell BIO: Sam started playing hockey more than 20 years ago and has played every chance he’s had since. A lifelong defenseman, he uses his size and vision to drive play up the ice and put together a 200-foot game. Off the ice, Sam played both rugby and football at high levels, winning provincial championships in both. Sam’s coaching experience comes on the rugby pitch, where he led St. Paul’s High School to multiple provincial championships in his time with the team. He also helped coach the Dauphin Mavericks Rugby Club in its return to Rugby Manitoba last season. Outside of sports, Sam works in radio, currently as a reporter for 680 CJOB and Global News. He was formerly the News Director at 730 CKDM in Dauphin, and hosted a daily agriculture show called AgriView, the Noon Hour Edition. In his spare time, Sam can be found playing golf and tennis, or at his family’s cabin in Victoria Beach. “I’m excited to be a part of such an incredible program. Hockey has been a big part of my life, and can’t wait to share my love of the game with others.

Goalie Coach - Rachel Dyck

Trainer - Eryn Stewart BIO: My name is Eryn Stewart and I am in my 3rd season as the Interlake Lightning U18 female trainer. I recently graduated with my Masters in Physiotherapy in 2023. I grew up playing hockey in Stonewall, playing U15 AAA with the Interlake Ice, and then playing U18 AAA with the Central Plains Capitals where we won the league championship and went to the Esso Cup in 2015. For university I attended the State University of New York at Oswego where I played 4 years of Division III hockey and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2020. I enjoy giving back to the hockey community that helped me when I was growing up, and I love working with talented young athletes to get them to their full potential in sport and life!