Fifth-year Trojan Melanie Vincent has become SAIT’s all-time leader in games played. ANDREW CROSSETT PHOTO

Long time SAIT Trojans women’s hockey player Melanie Vincent has just become the franchise’s all time leader in games played with 117. Vincent is in her fifth and final season with the SAIT Trojans, and will be graduating this spring from the Medical Laboratory Technology program.

The Trojans wrapped up a disappointing 2011/12 season with back-to-back losses to the NAIT Ooks over the weekend, dropping them out of playoff contention.

Vincent provided some much needed veteran leadership to a young Trojans squad, with a total of nine first-year players this season.

“She’s a great leader, when things start to fall apart she has a way of bringing them back together,” said first-year Trojan Bethany Roy, who hails from Bear Canyon, Alberta.

“She is always at the gym, always working hard, she is a key component to the team and we will definitely miss her next year.”

The highlight of Vincent’s career came last season, when the underdog Trojans swept the Mount Royal Cougars in the ACAC finals, winning the team’s first championship since 2007.

“A lot of people doubted us going into the finals, just the way we beat them, it was a big upset and a great memory,” said the Ladysmith, BC native.

The Trojans went into that ACAC final as a big underdog to a Mount Royal team who had dominated SAIT previously, as the Trojans had gone over a calendar year before their previous victory over the Cougars.

Dropping out of the ACAC playoff picture in the final week of the season was a tough way to end a long and successful career with SAIT, but Vincent is looking forward to moving into the next phase of her life.

The Trojans will hope to build on the strong foundation they made this year, and with a year’s experience under their belt the younger players will have to fill the void in veteran leadership left by Melanie Vincent.