Written by Colin Powers Monday, Mar 20 2023, 6:15 AM

The Innovation Credit Union U18 AAA Wildcats’ season came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday after falling 3-2 in overtime to the Saskatoon Stars in game two of the best-of-three league semi-final at S3 Arenas.

After a scoreless first period, Jerzey Watteyne and Addison Eurich scored for Swift Current in the second to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. Saskatoon rallied late in the third period as Avery Bairos scored with 5:31 left to cut their deficit to 2-1, and Kolbee Ashe scored with 47 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Keyra Buziak in the extra frame to give the Stars the win and a two-game series sweep.

Karlee Lehner made 27 saves for the Wildcats, who wrap up the season with an overall record of 19-11-5-1. Watteyne was the top scorer for Swift Current with 29 goals and 50 points, followed by Sadie Keller with 14 goals and 38 points. Lehner posted a 13-6 record with a goals against average of 1.54 and a save percentage of .946, while Paige Fischer had a record of 10-5 with a GAA of 2.21 and a save percentage of .921.

Nine members of the Wildcats have committed to post-secondary hockey in the fall including Watteyne (Mount Royal), Keller (Manitoba), Lehner (Northland College), Caitlyn Perlinger (Calgary), Calla Kampen (Lakeland), Olivia Kirwan (Minot State), Ella Wingert (Lakeland), Tess Bakus (MacEwan University), Kylee Hansen (Minot State) and Caybri Dejong (Olds College).

Former Wildcats help Mount Royal win U Sports title

Former Wildcats Ava Metzger and Kiana McNinch were in the lineup for the Mount Royal Cougars, who captured their first-ever U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship with a 4-3 overtime win over Concordia in Sunday’s final in Montreal.

Metzger scored two goals and seven points in her first year with the Cougars, while McNinch had four goals and 11 points in her rookie year.

Written by Colin Powers Sunday, Mar 12 2023, 8:59 PM

Amiyah Jones scored in double overtime to give the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 AAA Wildcats a 4-3 win over the Weyburn Gold Wings on the road Sunday to complete a two-game sweep of their best-of-three playoff series.

Weyburn jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Julia Durr and Paisley Arntsen, then the Wildcats took the lead on three unanswered goals, one from Cydny Price and a pair from Jerzey Watteyne. Hadley Ravenko scored for the Gold Wings with 7:41 left in regulation to force overtime, where Jones would pick up the winner for Swift Current with 1:11 to go in the second sudden-death frame.

Watteyne added two assists for a four-point game and Paige Fischer made 18 saves as Swift Current outshot Weyburn 53-21.

The Wildcats move on to the SFU18AAAHL semi-final where they will face the #2 seed Saskatoon Stars, who swept the Battlefords Sharks in two-straight games. The top-seeded Regina Rebels will take on either the Notre Dame Hounds or Prince Albert Bears, whose series is tied at a game apiece with game three set for Monday in Wilcox.

Written by Colin Powers Friday, Mar 10 2023, 9:18 AM

Several members of the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 AAA Wildcats were honoured with SFU18AAAHL league awards as they get set to open the playoffs tonight.

Karlee Lehner was named the league’s top goaltender and a first team all-star goalie after posting a 12-4 record in the regular season with a 1.35 goals against average and a .955 save percentage. Caitlyn Perlinger was named the top defenceman and a first team all-star defender after scoring nine goals and 25 points in all 30 league games this season.

Addison Eurich shares the most sportsmanlike player award with Notre Dame’s Kyra Anderson, and Head Coach Terry Pavely was named coach of the year along with Prince Albert’s Steve Young.

Forward Jerzey Watteyne was named a first team all-star forward and Sadie Keller was also named a second team all-star forward. Watteyne and Keller led the Wildcats in scoring with 43 and 35 points, respectively.

The Wildcats will honour their award winners as they face the Weyburn Gold Wings in game one of the best-of-three league quarterfinal tonight at 8:00pm from S3 Arenas.

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats will be hosting a spring camp on Friday, April 21, 2023 and Saturday, April 22, 2023. The camp is open to players born in 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006. The camp will consist of both practices and scrimmages. The purpose of the camp is to identify prospective players for the 2023-2024 season and beyond. The cost of the camp will be $75/player. The camp will take place at the InnovationPlex in Swift Current. Registration forms are available on the Innovation Credit Union Wildcats website or on the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA League website.

Please send registrations (with a cheque) to:
Swift Current U18AAA Wildcats
840 Field Drive
Swift Current, SK
S9H 495

Written by Colin Powers Sunday, Feb 19 2023, 8:05 PM

Paige Fischer stopped all 25 shots she faced as the Swift Current Innovation Credit Union U18 AAA Wildcats earned a 5-0 win over the Weyburn Gold Wings in their regular season finale at S3 Arenas on Sunday.

Jerzey Watteyne had two goals and Addison Eurich, Olivia Kirwan and Ella Wingert also scored. Eurich added two assists for a three-point game, while Sadie Keller had two helpers. Wingert, Calla Kampen and Amiyah Jones also had assists.

The Wildcats finish the regular season with a 17-9-4-0 record and sit in third place in the SFU18AAAHL standings. Notre Dame is nine points back in fourth place but has three games in hand. Swift Current and Saskatoon are the only two teams in the league who have completed their regular seasons with the five others playing their remaining games over the next two weeks before playoffs can begin.

In the meantime, Fischer, Watteyne, Wingert, Keller and Caitlyn Perlinger will prepare to head to Prince Edward Island to represent Saskatchewan in female hockey at the Canada Winter Games next week.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan started the men’s hockey tournament at the Canada Games with a 4-1 win over New Brunswick on Sunday afternoon. Cam and Cobe Perlinger, Parker Rondeau and Berney Weston of the Home Hardware Legionnaires are playing for Saskatchewan, who face Manitoba in their next game on Monday morning.