Christine Bestland (born April 28, 1992) is a Canadian ice hockey player in the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program. Prior to Mercyurst, Bestland was involved with Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence.
In high school, she played at Winnipeg's Balmoral Hall prep school. This same school produced her Mercyhurst teammate Bailey Bram. In March 2010, Bestland was one of eight female players from Manitoba that attended David Roy's Pursuit of Excellence hockey academy in Kelowna, B.C. She was part of a female midget AAA team that won the Challenge Cup tournament in Washington, D.C. by defeating Little Caesar's from Detroit 6âÂÂ4 in the championship game of the 26-team tournament. The team's overall record in 2009âÂÂ10 was 52âÂÂ3, including a 7âÂÂ1 loss to Sweden's Olympic team last month and three major tournament wins.
Bestland played on Canada's Under-18 women's hockey team as a 16-year-old. She also played for Hockey Canada's Pursuit of Excellence AAA midget team. Bestland was part of the Excellence squad that played Sweden's Olympic women's team prior to the Vancouver Games, losing by a 9âÂÂ1 mark. At the 2008 National Women's U18 Championships, Bestland scored a goal in the bronze medal game (November 9, 2008) as Manitoba won beat Team Ontario Blue 3âÂÂ1. In a March 24, 2010 contest versus the OWHA All-Stars, Bestland played for the Canadian National Under 18 Women's Team. Bestland would score the final marker in the contest as the OWHA All-Stars defeated the Under 18 team by a 3âÂÂ2 tally. As a member of the gold medal-winning squad at the 2010 Under 18 IIHF Women's worlds, a hockey card of her was featured in the Upper Deck 2010 World of Sports card series.
As the Lakers went 6âÂÂ1âÂÂ0 in October 2010, Bestland scored four goals, including two in a 7âÂÂ3 defeat of the Robert Morris Colonials. In addition, she had six assists. In her first game as a Laker, she scored a goal. She registered points in five of the seven games played and finished the month with a plus/minus rating of +13.
On December 3âÂÂ4, 2010, Bestland scored three goals and had two assists as the Lakers swept the Purple Eagles for the first time since the 2008âÂÂ09 season. She stretched her scoring streak to a career-long three games in Saturday's 7âÂÂ2 victory.
From January 29âÂÂ30, 2011, Bestland scored two goals and dished out an assist in the Lakers' swept Niagara at Dwyer Arena. She scored a goal in each game and dished out an assist for two points on the 29th.
In the 2011âÂÂ12 Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey season opener on September 30, 2011, Bestland was named the game's First Star in a 4âÂÂ0 shutout over the nationally ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats.
On December 7, 2013, Bestland logged the 200th point of her NCAA career in an 8âÂÂ0 victory against Penn State.
Her brother, Darren Bestland, plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings.