Mount Royal Cougars captain Tatum Amy takes home Player of the Year honours

Tatum Amy looking to leave with a championship It's Tatum Amy's final run with the Cougars and she wants to go out big. The team faces the Pandas for the semi-finals.

This has been a season to remember for Mount Royal Cougars captain Tatum Amy.

The 23 year old led the league in scoring with 28 points in 27 games, and on Thursday, things got even better when she was named 2023 Canada West Women's Hockey Player of the Year.

"Obviously it means a lot," Amy said.

"It's really nice to be recognized individually, but I just said to my teammates, hockey is a team sport and that's why I love playing it.

"I really couldn't have done it without them."

NOT THE ONLY AWARD

It's not the only award Amy won on Thursday.

She also took home the Sportsmanship and Ability Award and the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

She says there's no award she's most proud of.

"I hold them all close and dear to may heart that's for sure," Amy told CTV News.

"Like I said, that is really nice to be recognized individually, especially the Community Service Award.

"I've been spending the past six years with my favourite organization, the Hockey Heroes.  I love going every Thursday, so it's really nice to be recognized."

BIG BATTLE AGAINST ALBERTA

As much as all of the individual awards mean to Amy, right now, she and her teammates are concentrating on a bigger prize.

They left for Edmonton on Thursday afternoon and open up their best of three semi-final series against the University of Alberta Pandas on Friday afternoon.

The Cougars were 1-3 against the Pandas in the regular season, but Amy believes they'll be up for the challenge in the semi-finals.

"I think all year we worked super hard to get to where we are today," she said.

"Last weekend, we had a really close series against Trinity Western, and I think it definitely prepared us to go in and play a fast team like the University of Alberta."

"We've had a really good year against them with close games.

"I think no matter what though, it’s playoff season now, so whatever happened this season doesn't matter, and you just move on and we're ready to go."

MOVING ON

This is Amy's fifth and final season with the Cougars and she says she's going to do all she can to bring home a championship and go out on top.

"Not knowing when I'm going to be taking the Mount Royal Cougars jersey off for the last time is obviously… it's that time of year, but I'm ready to leave it all out there with no regrets.

"I'm excited and I believe in this team so much. I think we have an amazing team this year and I'm ready to just leave it all out there."

Because the U of A men's team is also hosting the semi-finals this weeken,d all of the women's games will be played at 2 p.m.

Here's a look at the schedule.

Game 1

Thursday - Mount Royal @ U of A at 2 p.m.

Game 2

Friday - Mount Royal @ U of A at 2 p.m.

Game 3 (if necessary)

Saturday - Mount Royal @ U of A at 2 p.m.