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Ava Drabyk was shopping at Aritzia in December 2024 when she got a call from Sheldon Goertzen. Goertzen, Drabyk’s longtime goalie coach and an assistant for Team Canada, told her she’d made Team Canada’s U18 team for the World Championships in Vantaa, Finland.

At the time, Drabyk was living with a guest family. She’d moved away from her Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, home to prioritize hockey in 12th grade, but she immediately called her parents to tell them the news. Soon after, neighbors congratulated her by bringing cookies.

“Making Team Canada was a big moment for me,” Drabyk said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, so it was awesome to live that out.”

Goertzen’s call was the culmination of Drabyk’s hockey career. Watching her father play since age 6, Drabyk has played at the highest levels with boys and girls in Saskatchewan. After helping Canada win the U18 Women’s World Championship in January 2025, she became Syracuse’s starting goalie. Through 27 games, Drabyk’s 745 saves lead Atlantic Hockey America, and she also has five shutouts.

“(Ava) continues to be a pretty consistent threat for us on the net,” SU head coach Britni Smith said. “I’ve said it a number of times, but she’s a pretty mature goalie for us in the way she handles her emotions.”

Going into U11, Drabyk wasn’t even a goalie. She began her career on defense, but she realized the position clicked after playing a three-on-three game as a goalie.

During her transition to goalie, the only thing that didn’t come naturally was the different skating technique. She adapted easily as she joined the boys’ game after being the only girl in her U15 league for the Saskatoon Stallions during COVID-19.

“She had the drive and skill set to compete at the boys’ level,” Goertzen said. “I watched her grow her game as a smaller goaltender. She was very accurate in her movements, very fast.”

Ava Drabyk glances forward during Syracuse’s Jan. 16 clash with Penn State. Through 27 games, Drabyk’s 745 saves lead Atlantic Hockey America, and she also has five shutouts. Peter Radosh | Asst. Copy Editor

Drabyk switched to girls’ hockey after her freshman year of high school and began playing at the U18 level in 2022. Goertzen had his eye on Drabyk since the pandemic and began giving her feedback after the Team Canada National Women’s U18 Summer Showcase in August 2024. Goertzen said he wanted Drabyk to focus on her stance, positioning and posture in net.

Three months later, Goertzen said Drabyk implemented the feedback. She propelled Team Saskatchewan to a national championship in Kelowna, allowing just 1.74 goals per game and saving 94% of shots.

“She was able to work on those pieces (of feedback) and really show a lot of poise and confidence as she progressed through the national championship,” Goertzen said.

By then, Goertzen knew Drabyk’s strengths. He knew she deserved a shot on Team Canada.

From Dec. 29, 2024, to Jan. 12, 2025, Drabyk practiced and competed for Team Canada in Finland.

Even though she didn’t start, Drabyk leaned on starting goalie Marilou Grenier for advice and support throughout the tournament. Grenier, a Minnesota-Duluth class of 2026 commit, inspired Drabyk with her poised playstyle.

“(Greinier) is one of my best friends ever,” Drabyk said. “I definitely learned how to play more of a calmer game style. She plays very calm and simple but can make the big saves when she has to.”

While Drabyk said it was difficult to quickly get a team together for the competition, her squad still topped Japan and Czechia before blanking the United States 3-0 in the finals.

“Playing at a high level gave me experience against top scorers, shooters and girls,” Drabyk said. “I think (Team Canada) just helped me see that side of the game and helped me have some prior experience before coming (to Syracuse).”

Although Drabyk didn’t receive the playing time she’d hoped for, she honed her craft through extensive training. Goertzen said he always added a competitive element to practices, such as rebounding drills that created an “internal competitiveness” among the goalies.

Goertzen also designed drills after scouting opponents, which gave Drabyk and others a clear idea of what to expect in upcoming games.

Throughout the tournament, Drabyk and Goertzen worked together frequently. When Drabyk allowed a goal in practice before Canada’s first game, Goertzen walked through specific movements and processes to ensure it didn’t happen again.

“When the result ends up in a goal, we really try to focus on what the process was to get there,” Goertzen said.

Drabyk may not have started. But she gave Goertzen every reason to look at her.

“She never backed down. She’s always pushing to do better,” Goertzen said. “And that alone, that competitive side, makes others around her better.”

Ilyan Sarech | Design Editor

SU had more questions than answers at goalie entering this season. Allie Kelley, the NCAA all-time saves leader (4,594), graduated after two years, prompting Syracuse to choose between Drabyk, Maïka Paquin and Bella Gould.

Drabyk won the job and ran with it.

Her competitiveness with Team Canada carried over to her freshman year, where she single-handedly kept SU in games when its offense sputtered.

“Stepping in after Allie Kelley is definitely some big shoes to fill, but I think (Ava) did it very well,” SU defender Maya D’Arcy said. “All freshmen, no matter your position, there’s some nerves your first couple of games. But she handled it very well.”

“She was able to ask questions and feel confident in her role,” D’Arcy added.

Drabyk tallied 44 saves in SU’s season opener against then-No. 6 Minnesota Duluth. She claimed another 34 the next day against UMD. On Oct. 18, 2025, she earned her first career shutout in a 1-0 win over Delaware. It was a torrid start, but it didn’t last.

On Nov. 14 and 15, 2025, against then-No. 4 Penn State, Drabyk was pulled early after allowing a career-high six goals in the first game and four in one period the next day.

Yet, just like she did with Goertzen after allowing a goal in practice, Drabyk keyed in on why she was struggling and refined her movements. She specifically focused on reading her opponent’s blades more to anticipate shot paths.

“After that Penn State weekend, there’s a reset … you can’t dwell on the past, you’ve got to move forward,” Syracuse associate head coach Heather Farrell said. “You try to make adjustments to your game or focus.”

Drabyk made more than just simple adjustments after the nightmarish slate. She returned with a vengeance.

Between Nov. 21, 2025, and Jan. 23, Drabyk never conceded more than three goals in a game. She tallied a career-high 48 saves in a tie against then-No. 5 Cornell, engineering Syracuse’s first non-loss against the Big Red since 2010.

From there, the awards piled in. AHA Rookie of the Week. AHA Goaltender of the Week. Rinse and repeat.

Drabyk has noticed a more intense pace since transitioning to college. But the lessons and instruction from her time with Team Canada have allowed her to play situational hockey and quickly find her footing at SU.

“She is the backbone of our team,” D’Arcy said. “When she’s playing her best, we’re all playing our best.”

Published on January 29, 2026 at 12:21 am
Contact Spencer: sabrod@syr.edu | @spencerbrod20