The Burlington Barracudas are proud to make the following coaching announcements for the 2026/27 season: U11 AA Taylor Woods U18 A Brett Sommerville U13 A Daryl Knowles U9 A1 Rob Tarantino
U11AA Head Coach – Taylor Woods – [email protected]
Born in Manitoba, Taylor won an Esso Cup with the Notre Dame Hounds and a gold medal with Team Canada’s U18 team in 2012. She played four years at Cornell University in the NCAA and continued her playing career in the CWHL before spending her final three seasons with the Toronto Six in the PHF.
Currently, Taylor is a performance coach and strength and conditioning expert with a diverse background in sports psychology and player development. She holds a Masters in Sports and Fitness Psychology from Setanta College in Dublin, where her research focused on mental health integration in hockey and athlete confidence-building, and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Cornell University, where she studied team cohesion in sports. A certified strength and conditioning coach, Taylor also holds certifications in youth fitness, sports nutrition, and safe sport practices. She is currently Head Coach for the Burlington Barracudas’ U11AA Team and an Assistant Coach for the U18AA High Performance Team.
U18A Head Coach – Brett Sommerville - [email protected]
Brett Sommerville is an experienced A-level head coach who is currently the U18A Head Coach of the Mississauga Hurricanes. He has led teams in the Mississauga Girls Hockey League from U15A to U18A, building a reputation for steady development, clear communication, and competitive, team-first hockey. He focuses on fundamentals, pace, and decision-making, pairing high-rep skill work with systems that fit the roster rather than forcing a template. Players describe his bench as calm and prepared; parents appreciate his transparency around roles and growth plans. Brett’s approach is to retain and develop athletes in-house, prioritize practice quality, and set standards that travel from the first drill to the final shift. He values multi-sport athletes, academic accountability, and character, and he works closely with staff to create an environment where players feel supported and pushed to reach the next level.
U13A Head Coach – Daryl Knowles - [email protected]
Daryl Knowles enters his fifth year as a coach with the BGHC, previously coaching the IP Fundamentals program, U7, U9B, U9A, and U11A teams. As an excellent hockey coach and leader, Daryl is passionate about the growth and development of athletes encouraging them to reach their full potential on and off the ice. Daryl played hockey in the OPJHL/OHL//AUS.
U9A1 Head Coach – Rob Tarantino – [email protected]
Rob has been the U9B1 Head Coach for the past two seasons. He is a former NCAA Division 1 player at RIT. He has been involved in coaching previously with the Mississauga Reps in the GTHL. Rob has two daughters who play in the BGHC and he looks forward to working with the players and families to help each girl’s development.