From Bonnyville Minor Hockey to Div 1 with the RIT Tigers: Tahlia Vasseur’s Rising Journey

Meet Tahlia Vasseur—a 18‑year‑old standout from Bonnyville, Alberta—whose hockey journey has taken her from local rinks to a Division I commitment with the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers in New York.

A  2007 player, born in Bonnyville, Tahlia has grown her game every step of the way.

She cut her teeth in the grassroots of Bonnyville Minor Hockey before stepping up to the Lakeland AA Panthers, then progressing through the AA Lloydminster Steelers, and onto the AAA U18 Steelers. It was there she really started turning heads—earning her spot at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall for her final two junior years, where she embraced independence and better exposure to elevate her game.

On the ice with the OHA Mavericks Prep U18, Tahlia put up remarkable goaltending numbers: in the 2023–24 season, she played 45 games with a stellar goals-against average (GAA) of 2.07 and a .916 save percentage—posting a 22–15–7 record with 825 saves in over 2,200 minutes of action.

But what truly stands out are Tahlia’s words—her calm confidence shines through:

“Being a goalie is… it’s all a mental game.”

She chuckles, remembering the NHL-level pucks headed her way:

“Well, you kind of… you’re taking what, a hundred‑mile‑per‑hour f***s to your head sometimes. So yeah, I have to have a little bit of different mindset.”

Tahlia describes herself simply as a calm goaltender—but behind that understated label is a fierce competitor who leans into sacrifice, balance, and relentless effort:

“There’s a lot… of sacrifice you need to put in… on and off the ice.”
“My goal is to make them have a hard decision. Decide who to put in that.”

When she received the long-awaited email committing her to RIT, she was grabbing sushi with her best friend—and she jokingly sums the moment up as:

“Full body chill… I was like, full body chill, I think.”

The first person she called? Her mom—no surprise there.

RIT Women’s Ice Hockey: The Next Chapter

Now Tahlia joins the RIT Tigers—a proud Division I women’s hockey program competing in Atlantic Hockey America, after the 2024 merger of CHA and Atlantic Hockey.

RIT women’s hockey has a rich and inspiring legacy:

• Back when they were NCAA Division III, they roared to a 28–1–1 record and captured the 2012 national championship, defeating Norwich University.

• In 2015, they transitioned to Division I, joining College Hockey America and eventually moving into Atlantic Hockey America.

• The Tigers play their home games at the Gene Polisseni Center, a buzzing venue that seats over 4,300 fans.

• Currently led by head coach Celeste Brown—an RIT alumna and former team captain—the program continues building toward Division I prominence.

For context, their recent seasons have been competitive: In 2024–25, under Brown, RIT posted a 16‑17‑4 record, finishing fourth in CHA, reaching the conference semifinals—a solid foundation that Tahlia will look to join and elevate.

Hockey Dreams, Small-Town Roots – Connected

You know that feeling when your little hometown girl goes on and makes you swell with pride? That’s Tahlia—Bonnyville-born, dream-chasing, going-for-it through Panthers and Steelers and now the OHA prep system. She’s a goalie who plays with a calm mind, braving blistering shots and big decisions—on her way to RIT’s Tigers, where history meets passion in Division I hockey.

As she put it, hockey has been her whole life, and she’s determined to keep pushing—“100%” aiming for the PWHL and beyond.

So to all of us watching, keep your eyes on Tahlia Vasseur. I’ll be rooting her on every step of the way—Bonnyville to Rochester and beyond. Go Tigers.