Published: Saturday, 05 March 2022 21:03
Written by David Zammit

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats opened their postseason this evening with a 3-1 win over the visiting Battlefords Sharks.

All three Swift Current goals came in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit propelling them to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Wildcats defenceman Caitlyn Perlinger scored the game-winner midway through the final frame.

“I think it started in the dressing room, we all put our minds to that we wanted to come back and win this game,” she said. “We didn’t want to start our playoff run from behind.”

Sharks defenceman Ava Cole opened the games scoring around the midway point of the first period rifling a wrist shot past Wildcats goalie Karlee Lehner.

The Wildcats wouldn’t respond until just over five minutes into the third period when Swift Current’s Cydny Price beat Sharks goalie Emma Backman to the post on a wraparound tying the game up.

Perlinger found the back of the net five minutes later with a wrist shot beating Backman upstairs giving the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 2-1.

“I seen we had people in front of the net so I thought it was best to just shoot,” she said describing her thought process on the marker.

Swift Current defenceman Jessica Bouffard netted the insurance goal with 1:57 left in regulation with a point shot that eluded Backman.

“I think we started off not our best but after that, we picked it up and we were able to play our game,” she said.

Lehner made 21 saves in goal for the Wildcats picking up her first-ever playoff victory while Swift Current produced 38 shots on the Sharks goal.

Game two goes tomorrow afternoon in Battleford at 1:30 p.m. with game three back in Swift Current Wednesday night.

Published: Sunday, 20 February 2022 17:17
Written by David Zammit (swiftcurrentonline)

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats continued their winning trend this weekend with two wins over the visiting Saskatoon Stars.

Swift Current was able to erase a late two-goal deficit this afternoon for a 6-5 victory just 17 hours after blanking the Stars 3-0 on Saturday.

“I definitely think we could have done better,” Wildcats forward Sadie Keller said Sunday. “We’ve played better games but we found a way to pull off a couple wins here.”

Keller notched the game-winner with 25 seconds left in regulation completing a wild comeback win for Swift Current pushing their winning streak to five games.

“It [was] a power play so I knew we had to take advantage of it,” she explained. “I knew that there wasn’t much left on the clock and Caitlyn, I honestly thought was about to shoot it and then I just seen the pass come to me and I just wanted to tap it in. Didn’t want to overthink it.”

The Wildcats scored four of their six goals in the final frame, one coming each from; Kiana McNinch, Ava Metzger, Samantha Thompson, and Keller. Swift Current’s other two goals came in the first period, one from Wingert to open the scoring and McNinch’s first of the game.

Goalie Karlee Lehner picked up her league-leading 13th win on the season stopping 20 shots.

Rewind a day and the story was very different between the Wildcats and Stars.

Swift Current defenceman Caitlyn Perlinger scored twice in the first period to power the Wildcats to a 3-0 victory.

While Lehner was perfect in goal, stopping all 29 shots she faced.

And Wildcats leading scorer Jerzey Watteyne added an insurance marker late in the third period registering her 20th goal of the season.

The two regulation wins move Swift Current to 17-8-4 with just one game left in the season against Notre Dame. The Wildcats have now won 11 of their last 12 games.

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats will be hosting a spring camp on Friday, April 29, 2022 and Saturday, April 30, 2022. The camp is open to players born in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005. The camp will consist of both practices and scrimmages. The purpose of the camp is to identify prospective players for the 2022-2023 season and beyond. The cost of the camp will be $80/player.

Please send registrations (with a cheque) to:
Swift Current Wildcats
840 Field Drive
Swift Current, SK
S9H 495

Published: Wednesday, 16 February 2022 23:37
Written by David Zammit

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats have now beaten every team in the league at least once after a thrilling victory at home tonight.

Forward Samantha Thompson finished off a 2-on-0 play midway through the second overtime frame to lift the Wildcats past the Notre Dame Hounds 3-2.

“It feels pretty good,” the Regina product said postgame. “Especially right before playoffs, we’ll go into [it with] a mentality that we can beat anybody in the league if we stick with it for 60 minutes.”

After Swift Current fell behind 1-0 early in the second period while on the penalty kill, Jerzey Watteyne responded before the period was over on a Wildcats powerplay tipping home a Caitlyn Perlinger point shot.

Watteyne doubled down around the halfway mark of the third period to give Swift Current their first lead of the game, however, it only lasted 70 seconds before the Hounds answered.

“Once they got that second goal, we didn’t give up,” Thompson said.

That set the stage for the third year Wildcat to play hero tapping home a nifty passing play between her and captain Ava Metzger who were both in all alone on Hounds goalie Eva Filippova.

“Me and Ava, we like to do that play in practice,” she said. “I didn’t know if she was going to shoot but I was ready for the backdoor pass.”

Swift Current’s Aurora Van Wormer stopped 21 of the 23 shots she faced in goal to register her eighth win on the season.

The Wildcats have now won three straight games after defeating the Hounds for the first time this season moving to 15-8-4.

They’ll host the Saskatoon Stars twice this weekend before wrapping up the regular season with one more contest against Notre Dame.

Published: Wednesday, 02 February 2022 11:54
Written by Ally Paige

It will be a reunion this fall for two players of the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats.

Paris Appel, a left wing for the AAA team recently shared that she has committed to attending Lakeland College this fall to play for the Rustlers program.

The announcement comes shortly after teammate Laiken Swan confirmed she would be attending the same college.

Appel said that her teammate was a driving force in her decision.

“Over the Christmas break, Laiken told me that her coach was going to be calling me so I kind of expected that call,” Appel stated. “And just the fact that Laiken was going there kind of made it a place that maybe I wanted to check out.

“So, I just had to make sure they have what I wanted academically and then after we played against PA, I went down there just to check out the school and the coaches, and they’re really nice, and the school was super nice, and I just thought it was probably the place for me.”

The Rustlers currently own a 13-4 record this season but will be switching from the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference for the upcoming season.

Appel said that she is looking forward to playing in a tougher league and is excited to have the opportunity to prove herself.

The 17-year-old Swift Current native will be attending a four-year nursing program with hopes to balance hockey and school.