By Michael Clarkson
March 19, 2026 Volume 7, Issue 14
Fort Erie International Academy Wins OSBA Championship
By Michael Clarkson
The most important statistic for the Fort Erie International Academy’s girls’ hockey team is not winning percentage but that all of their players – since 2022 –have won university scholarships.
As a team, their best finish was second in the National Girls Hockey League in the United States in 2024, but they take pride in such graduates as Winnipeg native Kai Hyatt, their first captain, now a forward for the Post University Eagles of the NCAA in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Although their season is over, the Falcons continue to practice through April and many of their players are on international clubs,
including Sinia Gubser, now playing professional for EV Zug Frauen in Switzerland.
Malea Viola, a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, plays for the Philippines internationally. Next year she will skate for King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Many others perform for national teams of Germany, Spain, France, and Denmark.
“The results and experience that come with being an FEIA student are special,” says defender Beer van Oosterhout, who represented The Netherlands in the recent Under-18 World Cup. “The guidance I receive in sports and also in academics truly helps. It sets me up for the best possible future.”
The Falcons, under coach Carley Blomberg, also play in the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association and had 56 games this season, including those in the U.S.
Girls’ hockey continues to grow across Canada with a record 115,000 players registered last year and 6,322 coaches. However, generally women’s sports still don’t get as much funding from governments and minor hockey associations as men’s sports, Blomberg says. “I don’t think a lot of people understand the history of women’s hockey; it’s still a relatively new sport.”
Carley said her career as an all-star at Brock University helped her to understand the players she coaches. “You learn how to communicate, to understand what your athletes are going through because you went through it yourself. You understand the game.”
The Falcons are losing six players through graduation this year and will recruit to fill those spots. Much of the recruiting is from other countries as the FEIA scouts watch televised games and videos of potential players, and from developmental camps in the U.S.
They are not allowed to recruit players from Ontario, which would come into conflict with minor hockey associations in this province.
Players with good character and excellent academics are a must for FEIA, Blomberg added. “Physically, we look for players who can skate well; other skills like shooting and passing can be built,” she said.
Pictured: FEIA 2026 grads, left to right: Lola Edwards, Macinnis Collins, Gabriella Therrien, Polly Bennetts, Victoria Falco, and Malea Viola.
