Team Ukraine captain Valeriia Manchak-Jensen will lead a new women's prep hockey program in British Columbia next season.
Team Ukraine captain Valeriia Manchak-Jensen will lead a new women's prep hockey program in British Columbia next season.
Valeriia Manchak-Jensen will lead a new women's prep hockey program at Purcell Collegiate School in Kimberley, British Columbia. Manchak-Jensen is coming off captaining Team Ukraine to promotion on the world stage.
She led the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship, Division III, Group A in Zagreb, Croatia in scoring this season with eight goals and 18 points in only five games helping Ukraine earn promotion to the DIIB tournament next season.
The new U-18 prep program will have Canadian and American players, but is also planning to bring in players next season from Ukraine, Hungary, Denmark, and elsewhere.
"I believe we're doing something great. There's a bigger purpose to it," Manchak-Jensen told the CBC in an article looking at the new program. "There's a bigger purpose giving the opportunity to grow the game here, but also create a different academic opportunity with the opportunity to play hockey."
Manchak-Jensen is no stranger to North American hockey having played two seasons of ACHA hockey at Liberty University, and appearing in a pair of games with the PWHPA during the 2021-2022 season.
"I think we're not only going to have a great hockey team, but we're going to have a great team of human beings and amazing female role models," Manchak-Jensen said.
Manchak-Jensen has owned and operated Infinite Edge and Power, a hockey skills camp providing opportunities across the USA for girls to develop.
She'll be joined by Megan Hostasek, an Ohio State alumni, as assistant coach.