Samantha Ridgewell

Samantha Ridgewell
Born (1996-07-16) July 16, 1996 (age 28)
Outlook, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 154 lb (70 kg; 11 st 0 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
PWHL team
Former teams		 PWHL Ottawa
Playing career 2015–present

Samantha "Sam" Ridgewell (born July 16, 1996) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender currently on reserve with PWHL Ottawa of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).

Playing career

Ridgewell began playing hockey at the age of five, in Conquest, Saskatchewan. In her youth, she played for a variety of teams in towns in her native province, including a boys' team in Outlook and the Coteau Hills Coyotes, formed of girls from across the province. In Grade 10, she began playing for the Saskatoon Stars in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League.[1]

From 2015 to 2019, she studied at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, in the United States, where she played for the Merrimack Warriors women's ice hockey program in the Hockey East conference of the NCAA Division I. She was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in her first season with the university, making 694 saves in league play, the second-highest total in women's Hockey East history.[2] She was only able to play 14 games in the 2016–17 season, missing large parts of the year due to a concussion. She posted five shutouts in the 2018–19 season, a Merrimack record, and was named to the Women's Hockey East Second Team All-Star Team.[3] She was one of four women nominated for the NCAA's 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award, the first women's player in Merrimack history to be nominated for the award.[4]

After graduating, she explored opportunities in Sweden and Switzerland, eventually signing her first professional contract with Djurgårdens IF Hockey of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) in Stockholm.[5] In December 2019, she made 43 saves in a 3–1 victory over Brynäs IF.[6] She earned her first professional shutout in late January 2020, making 19 saves in a 2–0 victory over SDE Hockey.[7] She finished the season with a goals against average (GAA) of 2.03, the fifth best in the league, and a save percentage of .920, the seventh best in the league, as Djurgården were eliminated in the playoff semi-finals by HV71.[8]

In May 2020, she announced her return to North America, signing with the expansion Toronto Six in the NWHL, the second goaltender to sign with the team after Elaine Chuli.[9][10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T/
OTL 		Min GA SO GAA GP W L T Min GA SO GAA
2011–12 Saskatoon Stars SFU18AAAHL 15 11 3 1 836:00 24 2 1.72 6 4 2 0 396:00 11 0 1.67
2012–13 Saskatoon Stars SFU18AAAHL 19 6 10 0 1014:00 44 2 2.60 6 3 3 0 366:00 17 0 2.79
2013–14 Notre Dame Hounds JWHL 19 11 5 1 908:22 16 5 1.06 – – – – – – – –
2014–15 Notre Dame Hounds JWHL 8 5 1 1 481:11 13 1 1.62 – – – – – – – –
2015–16 Merrimack Warriors NCAA DI 28 5 19 3 1635:15 85 1 3.12 – – – – – – – –
2016–17 Merrimack Warriors NCAA DI 14 3 7 2 754:27 42 0 3.34 – – – – – – – –
2017–18 Merrimack Warriors NCAA DI 23 8 12 1 1275:03 50 3 2.35 – – – – – – – –
2018–19 Merrimack Warriors NCAA DI 33 15 7 10 1933:58 61 5 1.89 – – – – – – – –
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF SDHL 22 14 6 0 1268:19 43 1 2.03 5 2 3 0 336:41 15 0 2.67
2020–21 Toronto Six NWHL 1 0 0 1 65:00 5 0 4.62 1 0 0 0 15:58 1 0 3.76
2021–22 Toronto Six PHF 2 0 1 1 99:01 6 0 3.64 – – – – – – – –
2021–22 HV71 SDHL 3 2 1 0 148:41 6 1 2.42 – – – – – – – –
2022–23 Buffalo Beauts PHF 2 1 0 0 74:31 0 1 0.00 – – – – – – – –
PHF totals 17 1 1 2 238:32 11 1 2.77 1 0 0 0 15:58 1 0 3.76
SDHL totals 25 16 7 0 1417:00 49 2 2.07 5 2 3 0 336:41 15 0 2.67
NCAA totals 98 31 48 13 5598:43 238 9 2.55 – – – – – – – –

Sources: Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League,[11][12][13][14] Junior Women's Hockey League,[15][16] Elite Prospects,[17] USCHO,[18] Premier Hockey Federation[19]

As of 24 February 2023

Personal life

Ridgewell has a degree in health sciences.[20]

She wears jersey number 34 after Finnish goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who was her favourite player growing up.[21]

References

  1. ^ Luedtke, Shelley (July 19, 2019). "Small Towns Play Big Role in Hockey Player's Success". The Outlook. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  2. ^ McMahon, Mike (November 16, 2018). "Merrimack goalie helping make young program a national force". The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Women's Hockey: Ridgewell brilliant again for Warriors". The Eagle-Tribune. November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  4. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (January 15, 2019). "The Takeaway: Highlighting the women's Hockey Humanitarian Award nominees". The Ice Garden. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  5. ^ Ekholm, Peter (May 29, 2019). "Triss i nordamerikanskor till Djurgården". HockeySverige (in Swedish). Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Liljekvist, Erik (December 20, 2019). "Djurgården vann toppmötet mot Brynäs efter galet målvaktsspel". SVT Sport (in Swedish). Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "Djurgården derbyvann igen". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). January 29, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Murphy, Mike (January 21, 2021). "2021 NWHL Season Preview: Scouting the league's rookie goaltenders". The Ice Garden.
  9. ^ Eastwood, Lindsay (May 19, 2020). "NWHL Toronto Signs Curlew, Marcuzzi, Ridgewell, and McParland". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  10. ^ Daniels, Calvin (November 20, 2020). "Sask. netminder on new TO Six". Yorkton This Week. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  11. ^ "2011/12 Season – Regular Season, League Leading Goalies". sfu18aaahl.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "2011/12 Season – Playoffs, League Leading Goalies". sfu18aaahl.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  13. ^ "2012 - 2013 – Regular Season, League Leading Goalies". www.sfu18aaahl.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "2012 - 2013 – Playoffs, League Leading Goalies". www.sfu18aaahl.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  15. ^ "Statistics - 2013-14 Regular Season - Major Junior Division". jwhl.org. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "Statistics - JWHL 2014-2015 JWHL Season - Major Junior Division". jwhl.org. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  17. ^ "Player Profile: Samantha Ridgewell". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  18. ^ "Samantha Ridgewell: Career Statistics". US College Hockey Online. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  19. ^ "Samantha Ridgewell – Stats". Premier Hockey Federation. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  20. ^ "2018-19 Merrimack College Women's Ice Hockey Roster: #34 Samantha Ridgewell". Merrimack College Athletics. 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  21. ^ "Samantha Ridgewell of the Toronto Six". Orion Sportscast. December 29, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.