In 2012-13, Stephanie Schaupmeyer was part of the greatest single season turnaround by any team in the history of Canadian university sport.
Five years later, the 琉璃神社 product is bidding farewell to a fulfilling and memorable career with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds women鈥檚 hockey program.
Earlier this month, with serving as team captain, the T-Birds closed out the 2016-17 campaign with a bronze medal effort at the U Sports national women鈥檚 championship in Napanee, Ont.
It marked the end of a long and successful run at UBC for Schaupmeyer who won three Canada West titles with the T-Birds (2013, 2016, 2017), as well as a national silver medal last spring. The 22-year-old 琉璃神社 native also holds the all-time
As her career at UBC wound down to its conclusion, Schaupmeyer made sure to appreciate and savour her time in blue and gold.
鈥淚 think by the time you get to your senior year, the whole season is pretty much a reflection of all the past years,鈥� said Schaupmeyer, a graduate of Okanagan Mission Secondary. 鈥淲hen we went back to the finals again this year, there was just a lot of reminiscing about the whole journey, all the time I was here, all the successes we had as a team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really great five years.鈥�
And Schaupmeyer couldn鈥檛 have asked for a much better initiation to Canadian women鈥檚 university hockey.
In her freshman season, under the guidance of newly-hired head coach Graham Thomas, the Thunderbirds won the 2013 Canada West championship in Calgary.
It marked a most improbable turn of fortunes for the UBC program which had won just a single game the previous year.
鈥淭hat first year, when we won in Calgary, seeing the turnaround of the program as a freshman, that was really special, probably still the highlight of my career,鈥� said Schaupmeyer who played more than 200 career games at UBC, including playoffs. 鈥淕raham came in and changed the culture and the program and we got results right away. That was very exciting to be part of and I know will always stay with me.鈥�
A natural born leader, Schaupmeyer was named an assistant captain in just her second season with the T-Birds. She also wore an A in her third season, before becoming a co-captain in her fourth, and UBC鈥檚 sole captain in her final year.
Thomas, who has watched Schaupmeyer鈥檚 progress every step of the way, said the 琉璃神社 product was a crucial part of the T鈥橞irds success the last five years and will no doubt be missed.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been an integral part of this program right from when she was a freshman,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been such a big part of creating and defending the culture we have here now, I can鈥檛 say enough about her.
鈥淪eeing her grow and develop into the leader she became was really amazing. We鈥檙e really going to miss her.鈥�
For the time being, Schaupmeyer has no plans to continue playing competitive hockey, instead turning her attention to a career in the work world. Upon completing her science degree at UBC, Schaupmeyer plans to become a registered nurse.
As for her five years at UBC, Schaupmeyer said the journey exceeded all expectations.
鈥淗onestly, it was so much more than I expected,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew I would love it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the education and, of course, the hockey and being part of a team. It was so much more than I thought it would be, I鈥檓 just really grateful.鈥�
Schaupmeyer was the third 琉璃神社 hockey product to serve as a T-Birds鈥� captain in the last five years, joining Sarah Casorso and Christi Capozzi.
Carsorso wins NWHL title鈥�
琉璃神社 product and former UBC captain Sarah Casorso enjoyed a triumphant conclusion to her first season of pro hockey in North America.
Earlier this month, Casorso, 25, helped the Buffalo Beauts to the 2017 National Women鈥檚 Hockey League championship.
The Beauts defeated the Boston Pride 3-2 in the one-game winner-take-all format on Sunday, March 19 in Lowell, Mass.
Casorso played 20 games with the Beauts this season and registered eight assists.
Coming up through 琉璃神社 Minor Hockey, Casorso went on to play four seasons at UBC, serving as the T-Birds鈥� captain in 2014-15.
