Friendship in the crease

“We are really close, which is nice,” said Wilson. “We are both pretty goofy and mess around a lot. If you’re a goalie, you have to be a little bit weird, but we get along well. It definitely works for us.”

Drever has started most of the games for the Huskies this season, her first season as the bonafide starter. The third-year goaltender transitioned into the role after veteran Jessica Vance graduated from the program in the off-season.

“She was a great mentor, great goalie and great person,” said Drever. “I learned a lot from her on and off the ice, just watching her in practice. She’s been a huge help for me in making this transition.”

Camryn Drever makes a stop in close against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds this season. (HuskieFAN)

For Wilson, she joined the Huskies during the pandemic-cancelled year but has since made a couple of starts this season, including earning herself a shutout so far this year. She knows Drever will get the majority of the starts but is taking advantage of learning from her.

“I feel like I’m transitioning well and having Cam and (goalie coach) Shelly (Sheldon Goertzen) there to support me is helping me quite a bit,” said Wilson. “It’s nice they have the confidence in me to put me in whenever they want. It helps with me being confident in myself. I think overall that will help me improve my game.”

As both players look to adjust to their roles, goaltender coach Sheldon Goertzen is there to help support them, build their skills, and develop the mental side of their game.

“There is learning the mental side of it as a student-athlete. There is a lot of work that goes on here, but there is also a lot of development that happens. Just because you jump to this level doesn’t mean you are done learning,” said Goertzen. “The games do help to see what it is like, but practice helps a lot. We go through a lot of goalie-specific stuff to keep them sharp and fresh and understand the skill set they need.”

A big component of what Wilson and Drever focus on with Goertzen is building a proper process, as it can be a crucial piece to being successful in the crease.

“A big thing is process. For goaltenders, it’s not always about the result or the stats. The stats are important for goalies, but there is a lot more to it to get there,” he said. “It is really building that process and what that looks like and making sure their focus is on that process and on finding ways to understand how pressures and how to work around them. It is important to learn how to operate as a student-athlete.”

For Drever, her transition has been around building her mental side of the game.

“There’s definitely more mental toughness (at this level) and the difference from knowing you are going to be that person going in and I think that is a huge difference from playing one game and if you play well or bad, you may not see the ice again in the next game,” said Drever.

The way to build that mental toughness and process is getting to the rink on Mondays and setting the tone for the rest of the week as they prepare for games on Friday and Saturday.

“It all starts from our first practice on Monday and focusing on those good habits throughout the week,” said Drever. “Making sure I’m practicing my regular game-day routine on Wednesday and Thursday before the games to stay sharp.”

Although they have their own styles and identities as humans and goalies, the two work together as a unit as well as separately on aspects of their game on and off the ice with Goertzen.

“That’s my role as coach to assess and make sure to develop their plans. We work hand-in-hand,” he said. “I am more of a guide than anything else – bring them along and help get them to be where they can get to. A lot of the drills are similar, and we work together, but how they achieve and make those saves can be different. A lot of it is trial and error and seeing what works for them.”

Drever and Wilson have grown close over the summer and season with the Huskies and have seen that hard work pay off in games and victories.

“For Cam, I’ve seen her mental game grow from day one to now. Seeing that prep of not playing all the time, to understand that process and see how to get there. She’s really come into her own and become that confident goalie that we can rely on day-in-and-day-out. She’s getting better every day,” said Goertzen. “With Colby, she’s got such a skillset to begin with at this level and we want to develop what that looks and making sure she’s prepared for that.”

Colby Wilson makes a pad save against the University of Calgary Dinos in Canada West action this season. (HuskieFAN)

Goalies don’t normally get a letter in hockey but are very much part of the leadership group on a team. They provide stability throughout games and can help keep their teams in matches when the offense is struggling to generate goals or chances.

“They provide a lot of leadership. That is something I help them with, and we talk a lot about,” said Goertzen. “You may not have a letter, but there is unspoken leadership in what they do. Pieces of their game can help control the game, calm momentum down, get whistles when needed. They can see the big picture and they are constantly focused on those pieces to do their part to help the team win games.”

So far this season, Drever and Wilson have been the backbone for the Huskies, giving their team a chance to win every game. Drever sits in the top five in the Canada West goaltending statistic rankings and Wilson has been solid in her starts this season.

by Katie Brickman-Young

Friendship in the crease

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