Published: Thursday, 10 March 2022 12:00
Written by David Zammit

Swift Current Wildcats forward Kiana McNinch has been rewarded for finding the right equilibrium between playing AAA hockey and scoring good grades in school.

The first-year Wildcat was given the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey Leagues Carol Scheibel Top Scholastic Player Award this past Saturday moments before Swift Current began playoff action.

“It means a lot to me because then you know your hard work and all that time you put in for school pays off,” she stated. “It was good to get.”

The Turtleford product registered a 97 per cent average in her first semester at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School. Her course load included a lot of English and math.

“Time management is big,” she said was the key to earning impressive grades. “I just think if you stay on top of things and even working ahead I think helps me a lot to not get behind in school.”

Wildcats Head Coach Terry Pavely shared the news with McNinch before the award was presented – which came as a bit of a surprise.

The 17-year-old will be attending Calgary’s Mount Royal University beginning in the fall enrolling in the Physical Literacy program with hopes of taking Physiotherapy afterwards.

“Hopefully it prepares me for university and staying on top of things with hockey too,” she said.

Gull Lake’s Reece Girodat was the last Wildcats player to earn the award in the 2016-17 season.

Published: Friday, 11 March 2022 06:00
Written by Ally Paige

Swift Current Wildcats goalie Karlee Lehner has received recognition for her outstanding performance in her rookie year with the AAA team.

Lehner was recently honoured for her hard work, being the recipient of the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Rookie of the Year Award.

The 16-year-old stated that receiving such high recognition makes all the work throughout the grueling on season feel even more rewarding.

She added that she feels as though her debut season with the team is something to be proud of.

“I don’t think it could have gone much better,” she said regarding the season. “I think I got a lot better being here. It really helped me a lot, but I don’t think it could have gone much better.”

Originally from Prince Albert, the young goaltender has amassed 13 wins during her 16 games played, tying her for first place in the league.

The netminder posted a goals-against-average of 1.94 for the 2021/22 season.

Lenher is the first goalie in league history to receive the Rookie of the Year Award.

Published: Wednesday, 09 March 2022 23:13
Written by David Zammit

A strong outing from the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats top-six forward group this evening propelled them past the Battlefords Sharks to reclaim their series edge.

Wildcats forward Jerzey Watteyne scored twice in the final frame lifting Swift Current to the 4-0 victory at the Fairview West Arena to give them a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series.

Captain Ava Metzger and centre Kiana McNinch each had goals, while goalie Aurora Van Wormer notched a 22-save shutout.

“After our loss on the weekend we knew things weren’t going to be easy, their team battles hard,” McNinch said. “We knew we had to get a second effort and I think that’s what we did today. We played as a team and that’s what brought us out on top.”

Metzger opened the scoring 2:41 into the second period stuffing home a rebound after Laiken Swan drove to the net with the puck.

“We talked today and we just wanted to drive the net,” she said. “There goalie is very good so we just wanted to not be perimeter players and play in the middle of the ice.”

About 3:30 later, McNinch beat Sharks goalie Emma Backman on a wrist shot along the ice that just squeaked under her right pad.

“I was actually shooting for the rebound,” she explained. “She’s very good up top and throwing it low I think threw her off and it just trickled in.”

Watteyne clinched game three for Swift Current with 62 seconds remaining in the third period scoring into the Sharks’ empty net making it 3-0. She wasn’t done offensively just 23 seconds later she deked out Backman on a breakaway and made no mistake on her second tally of the night.

The Wildcats have a chance to finish off the first-round matchup in Battlefords on Saturday night.

BY STEVEN MAH -March 6, 2022

Three members of the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats collected Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League awards prior to opening the playoffs on Saturday.

Wildcats goaltender Karlee Lehner was named the SFU18AAAHL Dana Antal Top Rookie. She is the second Wildcats player to win the award after Taylor Lind in 2016-17. Lehner was tied for the league lead with 13 wins and was fourth with a .932 save percentage and sixth with a 1.94 goals against average.

Wildcats forward Kiana McNinch won the SFU18AAAHL Carol Scheibel Top Scholastic Player Award. She is the first Wildcat to win the award since Reece Girodat in 2016-17. McNinch was also named to the Second All-Star Team after registering 11 goals and 17 assists in 29 regular season games.

Wildcats defenseman Caitlyn Perlinger was named to the SFU18AAAHL Second All-Star Team after registering six goals and 11 assists in 29 regular season games.

Published: Sunday, 06 March 2022 16:08
Written by David Zammit

A pair of first period power play goals by the Battlefords Sharks were enough to hold off the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats this afternoon.

A day after Swift Current took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series, Battlefords 2-1 win at home has now evened things up.

Sharks forward Lacey Schneider scored both goals on the man advantage for Battlefords.

Laiken Swan put Swift Current on the board with 85 seconds left in the game but the Wildcats couldn’t find an equalizer.

Netminder Karlee Lehner made 23 saves in the loss.

The two teams will meet back in Swift Current Wednesday for game three at the Fairview West Arena.