From Barn to Barn: Savannah Bouzide

Born and raised in Amherstburg, Ontario, Savannah Bouzide is a recent University of Connecticut graduate and women's hockey alumna who will be making a return to Ontario hockey in a Rams uniform while pursuing Ryerson's Master of Digital Media (MDM) degree.

"One main element was being close to home," expresses Bouzide on enrolling at Ryerson and joining the Rams women's hockey program.

"I was 11+ hours away from home in a different country for four years, and I honestly really wanted my parents to be able to watch me play one more year."

Bouzide's time with the Huskies saw her tally 44 points in 126 games, and she is fresh off a team-MVP season in 2020-21 where she led the squad in points.

Due to the suspension of the 2020-21 season, not many U SPORTS athletes can say they played a full 20-game schedule during the pandemic-ridden year — and Bouzide notes she benefited from certain COVID-related policy changes that the NCAA had implemented.

"When the NCAA gave us an extra year of eligibility, even though we had played an almost-complete season, I reached out to Maddy jokingly saying, "What are the odds I come play for Ryerson."

Bouzide is referring to her friend, former teammate and current Ram Madison Lalonde, who despite being sent that message as a joke, got right to work and connected Bouzide with Rams head coach Lisa Haley.

"I'll make that happen," Bouzide paraphrased Lalonde's reaction. "So basically it was Maddy who got us here," she joyfully admitted.

Bouzide graduated with a Marketing degree and a minor in Communications at Connecticut's business school, and expresses that Ryerson's MDM program will be much more application-based than what she has seen before.

"It's going to be very new territory," she adds.

Back in the Amherstburg area, Bouzide's family (and herself in the summers) operate Kranicz Orchards, a fruit orchard currently expanding with a timber-frame barn being built to host weddings and other special events.

Looking ahead, Bouzide does not see herself working a "regular 9-5 job," but instead is looking to work for the orchard, spearheading the expansion with her marketing background combined with her soon-to-be-acquired skills in digital media.

"UConn's marketing degree taught me the right marketing tactics and what makes one better than the others, but I don't know how to physically make one yet," she added.

"That's why I wanted to go into digital media and hopefully be able to make videos, websites, posters, and other stuff that could help out the farm."

Coming back close to home, joining former teammates at an excelling hockey program, and pursuing a Master's degree that will allow her to take on the expansion of her family farm, are all elements that Bouzide credits when discussing her commitment to Ryerson.

"I'm honestly most looking forward to making new friends – on the hockey team especially," she shares, "also having a great season because they (the Rams) look like they have a great team."

The Rams women's hockey program were the closest they had ever been to an OUA Championship in 2019-20, and with two stellar recruiting classes including Bouzide, the program will certainly have serious title aspirations this upcoming season.

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Players Mentioned

#26 Madison Lalonde: F; 5' 8"; Redshirt

Players Mentioned

#26 Madison Lalonde
: 5' 8"; Redshirt
: F

Players Mentioned

#26 Madison Lalonde

Players Mentioned

#26 Madison Lalonde