Published: Tuesday, 11 January 2022 12:00 Written by David Zammit

One of the newest Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats will be joining a current teammate next year at school after a recent commitment.

The AAA team announced just two days before Christmas that Wildcats forward Kiana McNinch had committed to the Mount Royal University Cougars program for next season.

“It’s a good feeling knowing I have somewhere to go after this,” she said late last week. “Kind of excited to see what the next level is like, and how the jump is from this to that, and I’m really excited to get into that.”

The potential opportunity for the Turtleford product arose after an exhibition tournament when the Cougars Head Coach Scott Rivett reached out.

“Then I started looking into it,” she said. “My fellow teammate Ava [Metzger] was going there so that also played a role in it. As he was talking to me I got more familiar with the program and thought it would be someplace I would like to go.”

Aside from building a solid rapport with Metzger and now Rivett, the third-year Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League player is excited for the move to Calgary.

“Calgary I’ve been told is going to be a really good place to be, it’s close to the mountains,” she said. “I think the team seemed like a good environment just knowing some other players that went there.”

She’s going to be entering the Physical Literacy program with hopes of taking Physiotherapy afterwards.

McNinch spent her two previous seasons with the Battlefords Sharks before joining Swift Current this year.

In 20 regular-season games with the Wildcats, she’s racked up five goals and 12 assists.

Published: Sunday, 09 January 2022 01:04
Written by David Zammit (swiftcurrentonline)
The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats earned five of a possible six points on the road this weekend in Prince Albert.

Game One

After nearly three weeks off from league play due to the Christmas break, Swift Current made the over 400-kilometre trek on Friday night to face a Bears team they hadn’t played since mid-October.

Wildcats goaltender Karlee Lehner came up clutch for Swift Current lifting them to a 2-1 shootout victory against her hometown team turning aside 38 shots and stopping all four shootout shooters.

Swift Current defenceman Shelby Rublee scored her second goal of the season only 31 seconds into the game with assists from Samantha Thompson and Sadie Keller.

Prince Albert’s lone goal came 55 seconds into the third period.

While Wildcats captain Ava Metzger scored the only shootout goal of eight shooters.

Game Two

Roughly 16 hours later, the pair of teams took to the ice at the Art Hauser Center for the second time in as many days with a very similar outcome.

This time Swift Current didn’t require extra time to secure another 2-1 win over Prince Albert.

Wildcats forward Kiana McNinch opened the games scoring just over six minutes into the first with a shorthanded tally.

Swift Current was able to extend their lead to 2-0 with about four minutes left in the second when Olivia Kirwan notched her first Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League goal with helpers from Cydny Price and Addison Eurich.

Wildcats goaltender Karlee Lehner was fantastic in goal again stopping 29 of the 30 shots she faced moving to 9-2 on the season.

What’s Next

The 14-7 Wildcats will travel to Wilcox on Wednesday seeking their fifth straight win against the 12-1-1 Hounds.

Published: Tuesday, 21 December 2021 11:55
Written by David Zammit

A member of the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats leadership group will be off to school in Alberta in late 2022 to pursue the next chapter in her hockey career.

Earlier this month the AAA club announced defenceman Jessica Bouffard had committed to Red Deer Polytechnic for the 2022-23 season.

“The coach really did a very good job contacting me and giving me a tour,” the Kincaid product said was part of the deciding factor in picking to join the Queen’s program over other possibilities. Another reason Bouffard selected Red Deer was the smaller school and the lower enrollment numbers.

Talks between the Wildcats assistant captain and Queen’s Head Coach Kelly Coulter began via email after the Chinook Classic in Calgary in mid-October.

“[After exchanging emails,] I called him and then went for a tour of the school and the rink and then I signed after that,” the third-year Wildcat said.

Aside from the hockey aspect, the 17-year-old will be enrolling in Kinesiology and Sports Studies with ambitions of becoming a trainer.

“I can go for two [years] and then I can continue on and go for four [years if I’d like],” she said.

Bouffard has suited up in 54 regular-season games with Swift Current since 2019 posting two goals and adding 11 assists.

Published: Sunday, 19 December 2021 21:40 Written by David Zammit

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats pulled off a pair of dominate wins at home this past weekend.

Hosting the Weyburn Gold Wings on Saturday night, Swift Current’s offence was just too much for the opposition to handle powering their way to a 5-0 victory.

Wildcats forwards Paris Appel and Kiana McNinch scored 83 seconds apart around the midway point of the first.

Swift Current followed that up with a duo more in the second off the stick of Sadie Keller and Tess Bakus.

Rounding out the games scoring was Jerzey Watteyne early in the third.

Wildcats netminder Karlee Lehner stopped all 23 shots she faced for her second shutout on the season.

It was a similar script for Swift Current Sunday afternoon as they waltzed by the visting Gold Wings 6-0.

“Obviously a lot of positives when you score five the first night and six tonight,” Swift Current Wildcats Head Coach Terry Pavely said. “That’s good offensive production and I thought we took advantage of our chances in the offensive zone.”

For the second time in as many games Kiana McNinch scored in the first period for Swift Current. Wildcats defenceman Caitlyn Perlinger then doubled her season goal total 2:47 apart on a pair of power plays stretching the lead to 3-0.

Wildcats leading scorer Jerzey Watteyne found the back of the net in the second and Sadie Keller netted a shorthanded goal for Swift Current just before the period ended.

With just over a minute left in the game Swift Current forward Addison Eurich rifled home a wrist shot finishing off the weekend scoring.

Swift Current’s Aurora Van Wormer turned aside 17 shots in goal to pickup her third shutout of the year.

“Both kids, obviously when you do pitch shutouts back-to-back, they made the saves they needed to make,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing we want from our goaltenders is make the saves they;re supposed to make and then anything that’s maybe out of the ordinary or those acrobatic saves those are kind of bonus ones. They did a good job of making the saves they needed to make.”

The 12-7 Wildcats will now be off from league action until January 7, when they visit the 5-9-1-1 Prince Albert Bears.

Published: Monday, 13 December 2021 12:12 Written by David Zammit

It was a near-perfect Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament for the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 Female AAA Wildcats.

They opened play on Thursday afternoon in Milestone with a convincing 4-0 win over the Pembina Valley Hawks.

Wildcats netminder Karlee Lehner made 15 saves for the shutout, while Caitlyn Perlinger, Gracie Georget, Ava Metzger, and Jerzey Watteyne all scored.

Swift Current notched their second win of the four-day tournament on Friday morning sneaking past the St. Mary’s Flames 3-2.

Sadie Keller, Tess Bakus, and Jerzey Watteyne all found the back of the net for the Wildcats.

Aurora Van Wormer made 26 saves in net for Swift Current in the win.

Later on Friday Swift Current remained undefeated earning a 1-1 tie against the Edmonton Pandas.

Laiken Swan had the lone goal for the Wildcats and Karlee Lehner stopped 26 of 27 shots in net.

The Wildcats were then off for about 24-hours before erasing a 2-0 deficit to upend the Edge School 5-2.

Sadie Keller led the offensive attack with a pair of markers and Laiken Swan, Caitlyn Perlinger, and Kiana McNinch each chipped in with a goal.

Wildcats netminder Aurora Van Wormer picked up the win turning aside 28 shots in the process.

Swift Current closed out play on Sunday downing the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs 3-1.

In the victory, Ava Metzger scored twice while Caitlyn Perlinger recorded the game-winner.

Karlee Lehner recorded her second win of the tournament making 25 saves.

The Wildcats will return to league action on Wednesday when they visit the Regina Rebels.