Victoria Bach

Victoria Bach
Bach with PWHL Toronto in 2024
Born (1996-07-12) July 12, 1996 (age 28)
Milton, Ontario
Height 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight 121 lb (55 kg; 8 st 9 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
PWHL team Toronto Sceptres
Played for
National team  Canada
Playing career 2012–present
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Canada
Gold medal – first place 2022 Denmark
4 Nations Cup
Silver medal – second place 2018 Canada

Victoria Bach (born July 12, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and member of Canada women's national ice hockey team. A graduate of Boston University, she was the first player in Boston University history to score more than 100 goals. She previously played in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) with the Markham Thunder, and received the CWHL's 2018–2020 Rookie of the Year award.

Playing career

University

Across 145 NCAA games, Bach scored 198 points, setting all-time points and goals record for Boston University.[1] She was the first woman in the university's history to score 100 career goals. In her senior year, she tallied 67 points in 33 games.[2]

Bach won the Hockey East Rookie of the Year in 2014–2015.[3] She was the second Terrier player to win the award in the program's history; teammate Marie-Philip Poulin won the award in 2010–2011. She was a Hockey East First Team All-Star in 2017 and 2018, and was a top-3 finalist for the 2018 Patty Kazmaier Award.[4]

Professional

In 2017, Bach was selected 7th overall by the Metropolitan Riveters in the NWHL draft. She was then selected by the Markham Thunder in the 1st round of the 2018 CWHL Draft, the team with whom she would sign her first professional contract.[5] In 2018–19, she won the CWHL Rookie of the Year Award, putting up 32 points in 26 games with Markham, her 19 goals good for second in the league.[6]

After the collapse of the CWHL in May 2019, she joined the PWHPA.[7] Following four seasons in the PWHPA, Bach was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 PWHL Draft by Toronto.[8]

International

Bach played for Team Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, winning a gold medal. She made her debut for the senior Canada women's national ice hockey team at the 2017 4 Nations Cup. She then served as assistant captain for the country at the 2018 4 Nations Cup.[9] In the 2019–2020 Team Canada season, Victoria was promoted to play on a line with Marie-Philip Poulin.[10][11] During the 2019–2020 Rivalry Series, she was the top scoring Canadian player.[12] She was named to the Canadian World Champhionships roster for the first time in 2020, before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] She was one of 28 players invited to Hockey Canada's Centralization Camp, which represents the selection process for the Canadian women's team that shall compete in Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[14]

Personal life

Bach was born in Ontario, Canada. Member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, First Nation. As a young woman, she started playing soccer; she switched to hockey after watching Team Canada win the gold medal in women's ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.[1]

At Boston University she completed a bachelor's degree in communication.[15]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2018–19 Markham Thunder CWHL 26 19 13 32 6 3 0 1 1 0
2019–20 GTA East PWHPA – – – – – – – – – –
CWHL totals 26 19 13 32 6 3 0 1 1 0

References

  1. ^ a b Change, Jonathan (February 2, 2018). "Women's Ice Hockey's Victoria Bach Breaking Records". Boston University. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  2. ^ Ingemi, Marisa (November 10, 2019). "Victoria Bach dazzling for Canada's women's hockey team". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Bach Named Hockey East Rookie of the Year". Boston University Athletics. March 6, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  4. ^ Blinn, Michael (25 December 2017). "BU's Bach tearing up college hockey". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. ^ Clinton, Jared (9 August 2018). "CWHL Draft: 10 incoming rookies who could make noise next season". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. ^ Jay, Michelle (27 August 2019). "2019 Women's Hockey Top 25 Under 25 | No. 2: Victoria Bach". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. ^ Clinton, Jared (20 November 2019). "How blossoming national team sniper Bach is making the most of an unusual season". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Four Terriers Selected in PWHL Draft". Boston University Athletics. 18 September 2023. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  9. ^ "2018 National Women's Team Four Nations Cup Media Guide" (PDF). Hockey Canada. n.d. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Victoria Bach scores OT winner as Canada defeats U.S. on home ice in Victoria". CBC Sports. February 4, 2020. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  11. ^ Ingemi, Marisa (10 November 2019). "Victoria Bach dazzling for Canada's women's hockey team". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  12. ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (February 10, 2020). "IIHF – Americans win Rivalry Series". IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  13. ^ Salvian, Hailey (March 21, 2020). "Debut delayed: Rising women's hockey star goes from world stage to home alone". The Athletic. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "CANADA'S NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM UNVEILS OLYMPIC CENTRALIZATION ROSTER: 28 players to centralize in Calgary ahead of 2022 Olympic Winter Games". hockeycanada.ca. May 12, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  15. ^ "Victoria Bach – Women's Ice Hockey". Archived from the original on 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2020-07-17.