Published: Monday, 08 February 2021 12:09
Written by David Zammit

It will be a trek far east for Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats goaltender Amaya Giraudier later this year to continue her hockey career at the next level.

Late last week the Assiniboia-born goalie committed to St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia for the 2021-22 season and according to the Wildcats alumni page she’s the first player from their organization to join the X-Women program.

“Something definitely exciting, something I’ve always kind of look forward to,” she said. “When I got to come and play AAA midget hockey, it was something that was a great experience for me to move up to and I can’t wait to make that next jump to make U Sport. Play with stronger girls, better shots, and girls who can definitely pick corners. It’s all just gonna make me better.”

The over 4,000-kilometre voyage is a choice the fourth-year Wildcat has been looking to make for some time now.

“I definitely wanted to go far away,” she said. “Playing out east in Canada it’s definitely going to be a really cool experience. Also, playing in Canada, you get to play five years instead of four, which for hockey and women’s hockey there isn’t a whole lot of opportunities, so to play an extra year, that’s something I really look forward to.”

One thing that made finding the right school for fourth-year Wildcat Giraudier tough, was having to endure the process while the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing which limited her exposure to U Sports and NCAA programs. However, the coaches and program in Antigonish have already helped reassure her she made the right choice.

“Talking to their coaches, they kind of made me feel like it was my best option to go there,” she said. “The girls also seem really nice, I’m already in contact with a few and they seem really friendly out there.”

Giraudier has appeared in 65 games (regular season and playoff combined) for the Wildcats since the start of the 2017-18 season and although this year was cut short, she’s enjoyed playing for Swift Current.

“Playing Wildcats is a great experience for me, definitely got me ready to go off and play CIS,” she said. “I really learned a lot here and the coaches really helped me make that next step to play that next level.”

If everything goes well in school for the 17-year-old she’ll be taking a two-year math and statistics program and then moving onto obtaining a bachelor of education. If that route doesn’t pan out she’s put some thought into attending law school and becoming a lawyer.