(FREDERICTON, NB) Sarah Hilworth, the head coach of the UNB REDS women’s hockey team, has been named winner of Hockey Canada’s prestigious BFL Canada Female High Performance Coach of the Year Award.

The High Performance Award is one of three Hockey Canada and BFL Canada present annually. The other two are in the Competitive and Community categories.

“This award is special and certainly is a congratulations to our student-athletes and coaching staff from a national level,” said Hilworth. “We’ve built something special here at UNB, both on and off the ice, so it’s incredible to have that recognition from Hockey Canada.”

The award winners were chosen by a selection committee that included three Olympic gold medallists.

As winner in the High Performance category, Hilworth receives a bursary and an invitation to participate at the national women’s team’s training camp this summer. She was recognized for consistently demonstrating the importance of sportsmanship and for empowering her student-athletes off the ice as well as on it.

Under Hilworth’s guidance, the REDS captured top spot in the Atlantic University Sport standings and won the first AUS Championship in UNB history, advancing to the U SPORTS Championship tournament.

“From day one, we wanted to push ourselves to be champions of athletic and academic excellence,” said Hilworth. “In just a few short years, our program has had success that I didn’t foresee, this early at least, and this award gives me motivation to continue to foster a program that people can be proud of.”

As for joining the coaching staff for the national team’s training camp, Hilworth says it’s something she’s dreamed of for a long time.

“I want to soak up every moment of being around some of the best coaches and players, and the best hockey organization in the world,” she said. “There are many people I look up to who’ll be in attendance, so just being around them will help my personal development. I think being there will make our team better with the information I’ll be bringing back. Any time we can find ways to improve and set ourselves apart, we want that opportunity. This is another opportunity for the REDS to get better.”

Hilworth will attend the national team training camp ahead of Canada’s appearance in the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation’s world championship tournament, in Denmark, beginning in late August.