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.

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.