Pilot Mound forward Jorja Atkinson commits to Jamestown women’s hockey

Jorja Atkinson is headed to Jamestown with the kind of steady, two-way game the University of Jamestown women’s hockey program needs as it keeps building in ACHA Division I. The Pilot Mound Hockey Academy forward from Chilliwack, British Columbia, committed to the Jimmies on April 22, adding a third-year student-athlete who has played 86 regular-season CSSHL games and earned a reputation for reliability in all three zones.

Atkinson has been with the Pilot Mound Buffaloes since the 2023-24 season, and her progress has shown up in both the numbers and the scouting report. Over three seasons in black and yellow, she recorded 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points with 40 penalty minutes. Her strongest statistical year came in 2025-26, when she finished with 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in 29 games. She also produced 1 goal and 2 assists in four games at the 2026 Female U18 Prep Division II Western Championships.

Pilot Mound general manager Nichole Collins described Atkinson as reliable, hardworking and a strong teammate, and said she had improved her confidence with the puck, her decision-making and her ability to contribute in all three zones. For Jamestown, that profile matters. The Jimmies finished 8-20-3 overall and 3-16-3 in conference play in 2024-25, a reminder that depth and consistency are still at a premium as Hannah Griffin continues shaping the roster in her role as head coach, a job she took in April 2024 after being hired by athletic director Austin Hieb.

Atkinson’s commitment also fits the broader direction of the program. Jamestown was one of four new teams added to ACHA Women’s Division I in 2023, alongside Montana State, Wyoming and Lake Superior State, part of a league that listed 31 teams that season. That growth has given programs like Jamestown a wider recruiting map, and Atkinson’s move from Manitoba-based Pilot Mound to North Dakota shows how far the Jimmies are reaching as they look to strengthen their lineup.

The University of Jamestown’s 2024-25 women’s hockey schedule included 16 home games, and each new commitment helps shape what fans see on those nights in Jamestown. Atkinson, listed by Pilot Mound at 5-foot-5, 130 pounds and a 2026 graduate, arrives with a track record of game experience and the type of versatility that can help a young program keep raising its profile in Stutsman County and beyond.