Mount Royal University Women's Basketball

Hailing from Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Robyn Fleckenstein played for Acadia University in the CIS for four years before moving on to coach numerous club and provincial teams in Nova Scotia and Alberta. From 2017 to 2019, she served as Head Coach of the Augustana Vikings in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. Prior to her time in Camrose, she spent four years as an assistant coach with the University of Alberta Pandas. Robyn joined Mount Royal University bringing a strong background in player development and program building. Since taking the helm, the Cougars have seen significant improvement, posting their highest win total in program history and consistently climbing the Canada West standings. Her leadership has also helped foster a team culture focused on academic excellence, resilience, and competitiveness. In recognition of her coaching acumen, Fleckenstein was named an assistant coach for the Canada Basketball U16 Women’s National Team ahead of the 2025 FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup. Fleckenstein holds a BSc from Acadia University, a BEd from the University of Alberta, and an MEd from the University of Victoria. She is also T2C Certified with Canada Basketball.  

Bert Gilling began his hockey journey in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, playing for the Estevan Bruins. A native of Alexander, Manitoba, Gilling went on to play NCAA hockey with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, where he was named team captain in his final season. His excellence on and off the ice was recognized through various accolades, including being a nominee for the College Hockey Humanitarian Award and WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year. Bert was also named Rasmussen Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Duluth and was a three-time Academic All-WCHA honoree. He made the Dean’s List and received the Top Scholastic Player award from his junior club in 1993. After earning his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bert completed his Master’s degree in Sports Studies at Bemidji State University. During his time at Bemidji, he served as the men’s hockey assistant coach and academic advisor, further honing his coaching and leadership skills. In 2014, Gilling joined Mount Royal University as the head coach of the men’s hockey team. He quickly established a new culture within the program and led the Cougars to their first-ever playoff victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies in his debut season. Since then, Bert has won the prestigious Canada West Coach of the Year award twice. In 2021, Gilling was named to coach at the U SPORTS All-Star Series, leading a team of Alberta-based post-secondary players against Canada’s World Junior trial teams. His dedication to player development and team culture has made him a highly respected coach within the hockey community, and he continues to drive the Cougars toward greater success.

Scott Rivett has been the head coach of the Mount Royal University Cougars women’s hockey team since 2012. Before joining MRU, he spent four seasons coaching the SAIT Trojans, winning four ACAC Championships and appearing in seven finals over eight seasons. He was named ACAC Coach of the Year four times — twice with SAIT and twice with Mount Royal — and holds the record for the most regular season wins in ACAC history, with 107. His four provincial titles are the most of any women’s coach in Alberta college history. In April 2025, Rivett expanded his coaching horizons by serving as an assistant coach for Team Czechia at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in České Budejovice, Czechia. This marked his first appearance at the senior international level. Under his guidance, Czechia achieved a strong fourth-place finish, advancing to the semifinals and narrowly missing out on a medal. At MRU, Rivett led the Cougars to their first-ever U SPORTS national championship in 2023. He was named Canada West Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year in 2024 after guiding the team to a 20-7-1 record and a second-place finish in goals scored. Scott Rivett’s blend of collegiate success and international coaching experience underscores his status as one of Canada’s premier women’s hockey coaches.