Amy won’t let anything stand in her way

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This article was published 03/01/2023 (475 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tatum Amy wants to go out with a bang.

She’s well on her way to making that a reality.

Amy, a product of Birtle, is already having the best year of her career in her fifth season with Mount Royal University’s women’s hockey team.

The 23-year-old is second in U Sports with 24 points (six goals) through 18 contests and leading the country in assists with 18. Amy put the country on notice early on as she burst out of the gates this season with a 12-game point streak that included 21 points.

This season has been the fruit of the 5-8 centre’s labour. Amy, who usually heads back home in the summer, stayed in Calgary last summer, training with the conditioning coaches at Mount Royal. She said it’s been one of the differences in her exceptional play this season.

“On top of that, I’m playing with two of the best linemates I could ask for,” Amy told the Free Press. “… And then, I think it being my last year here, I’ve been working extremely hard and I just want to kind of go out with a bang.”

While nice to hear about, the personal stats and accolades don’t matter to Amy, in her second year as the Cougars’ captain. The fact she’s leading a Mount Royal squad that sits comfortably in Canada West at 14-3-1, one point behind the University of British Columbia, is what gets Amy excited.

The program’s best season came in 2020 when Amy buried an overtime winner in Canada West semifinal game to clinch a berth in the national tournament, which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the Cougars are a much more imposing squad, leaving Amy with what could be her best chance to hoist a conference championship trophy.

“I kind of have a big goal for the team, I’m really hopeful for a Can West championship,” Amy said. “I know that we have the skill and ability to do that. I believe in my team so much that I think if we can get to Can West finals, we can accomplish some pretty big things there and then afterwards.”

Amy’s impressive campaign hasn’t come as a surprise to linemate Aliya Jomha, who has benefitted from the centre’s pass-first mentality to the tune of seven goals and 20 points this season.

“She just sees the ice so well, honestly,” Jomha said. “Just lots of skill on that line. I think Tate and I have really gotten to a point where we can find each other really well on the ice. Sometimes it just clicks and chemistry is there and you just find ways to produce offence, and I think that’s what’s happening.

“She’s such a high-calibre player. I think if anybody was playing with her, they’d find success.”

Amy and Jomha — along with Courtney Kollman, the third forward of the trio — are enjoying their first season on a line together. Jomha, 20, said this season matches Amy’s track record, which started with being named the Cougars’ rookie of the year in 2018-19.

“I think that now it’s really just her time. I know how hard she works, she’s really dedicated to hockey and the team and she’s a great leader. I think it’s about time she gets the recognition that she deserves. I know a lot of people are really happy for her and I’m just glad that I get to be a part of it,” Jomha said.

“She really just leads by example, goes out there and does the right things — just the little habits and details. I think that she’ll even say that she’s not the most vocal person in the room, but just naturally, I think people look toward her and respect her. So that’s huge for our group.”

A couple of weeks ago, Amy was recognized for her exceptional play this season, being named to Team Canada’s women’s hockey team for the FISU Winter World University Games, held in Lake Placid, N.Y., Jan. 11-22.

“I think with it just being my last year here at Mount Royal and being chosen to be a part of this Team Canada, I think it’s the cherry on top,” said Amy, who is the only player from Manitoba on the roster. “I was super excited to hear the news that I cracked the team at all. We actually leave on Sunday to head out there so I’m starting to get really excited, a little nervous.”

Her nod to the national team is a long way from her time growing up in small-town Birtle. Instead of playing high school hockey, Amy played for the Yellowhead Chiefs female U18 AAA team in the Manitoba Female Hockey League, where she excelled for four years before making the jump to Mount Royal University. The decision to join Mount Royal, as she describes, was the best decision she’s ever made.

“Overall, having my head coach, he’s been amazing the past six years and kudos to him for creating me into the player that I am now,” Amy said. “I do think that he deserves a lot of credit.”

While Amy continues her last season, she’ll also wrap up her degree in health and physical education with a major in physical literacy and a minor in sports and recreation management. Just because her university career comes to a close, however, doesn’t mean her time in hockey will.

“Hockey has been a part of my life for a long time now, so I don’t think I can give it up quite yet,” Amy said. “What that looks like, I’m not exactly sure. But, definitely, the next step for me is to continue playing if I can.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam