The Brock University women’s hockey team is having one of the best seasons in the program’s history under head coach Margot Page.

Since taking the reins in fall of 2015, Page has led the Badgers into the USPORTS Top 10 rankings. With the regular season winding down, the Badgers are jostling for a playoff position, as only seven points separates second through eighth place in the tight Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings.

“We have had some success this year with our record and rankings but also have faced adversity, especially at this present time,” Page said. “I feel we have had much more success behind the scenes that so many people do not see… becoming a championship-minded team with like-minded student-athletes.”

The goal, as with most teams, is to make the playoffs, Page said.

“The league is so tight and competitive. Over the back end of the season, we want to compete in every game and get used to the pressure of performing and scrapping for a playoff spot.”

Page and her coaching staff have been able to recruit high-end players since taking over the program, highlighted by second-year forward Annie Berg, a former U18 National Team player, and third-year goaltender Jensen Murphy, one of the top goalies in the OUA.

“We have some amazing student-athletes on our team right now and we have some pretty special recruits coming in next season, so I think as long as we keep the vision of being championship-minded athletes, the future is very bright for Brock women’s hockey,” Page said.

Throughout her hockey career, Page has excelled on the international stage both as a player and a coach.

She played for the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team from 1989 to 1994, winning three gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships in 1990, 1992 and 1994.

When she moved into the coaching realm, Page led Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 team to gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 Air Canada Cup and 2010 MLP Cup.

She was an assistant coach on the women’s national team from 2004 to 2006 and was part of the gold-medal winning coaching staff at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. In her coaching role, Page also won a silver medal at the 2005 IIHF Women’s World Championships and was part of the coaching staff that claimed gold at the 2004 and 2005 Four Nations Cups.

Prior to Brock, Page was the head coach of the NCAA Division I Niagara Purple Eagles for 10 seasons.

In her spare time, she spends time mentoring other coaches, but the No. 1 priority in her life remains her family.

“I love spending time on my farm with all my animals and living a simple life,” she said. “It really helps keep me grounded and live a balanced life.”