聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A Kamsack district resident has been selected by the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) to be a member of the 2017 female U18 Team Saskatchewan final roster.
Hannah Pennell of Kamsack is one of the 20 players who are now preparing to compete in Quebec City at the National Women鈥檚 U18 Championship November 1 to 5.
The U18 Female Team Saskatchewan is comprised of two goaltenders, six defencemen (including Pennell) and 12 forwards from 11 different communities from across Saskatchewan, said a release from Sheri Trapp of the SHA.
A daughter of Colleen and Kim Pennell of Kamsack, Hannah, 16, attends Grade 11 at Melville Comprehensive School because this is the second year that she has been playing with the Melville-based Prairie Fire AAA team, which is in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.
鈥淗annah started playing hockey at age four in Kamsack,鈥� her mother said last week. She played hockey with Kamsack teams until four years ago when she became a member of the Parkland Lions AA team which was based in Springside.
Asked why Hannah was interested in hockey, Colleen said that she is following in the steps of her siblings, all three of which had distinguished careers in the sport.
Although, her sister Jessica had made it to the top 25 females, she did not end up being on Team Saskatchewan like Hannah did, but did play hockey at university.
Her brother Connor, a forward, played with several Junior A teams and at Concordia University in Wisconsin, while her brother Eric played AAA hockey and was with the Regina Pat C鈥檚.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited and proud of Hannah鈥檚 accomplishments,鈥� Colleen said, adding that she and Kim are hoping to be able to accompany their daughter to Quebec City November 1 to 5 for the championship.
Terry Pavely, head coach with the Swift Current Wildcats of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League (SFMAAAHL) will serve as this year鈥檚 Team Saskatchewan head coach along with assistants Greg Slobodzian of the SFMAAAHL and Kelsie Graham of the SHA.
During the five-day national championship, eight provincial and regional teams will face-off in the tournament style event, the release said. Team Saskatchewan will open the championship on November 1 when the team will meet Team B.C.
The SaskFirst High Performance Program begins every February with regional camps held across the province which are open to all players within the specific age divisions, the release said. From there, the top players are invited to take place in the SaskFirst Tournament held in April and some are then selected to take part in camps held in the summer and fall as the final step in the selection process.
The four stages ensures all players not only have the opportunity to compete with their peers, but receive significant exposure as all SaskFirst events are highly attended by scouts from a variety of elite leagues and schools, it said. In addition, the SaskFirst Program is a gateway to Hockey Canada鈥檚 High Performance Program which includes the Women鈥檚 National Teams.
The SHA created this elite SaskFirst Program to ensure not only players, but coaches and officials all receive ample opportunity for development both on and off the ice. The SaskFirst Program is unique as no other provincial branches offer such as in depth developmental program for athletes, coaches and officials.
It remains the mission of the SHA to lead, promote and develop positive hockey experiences across the entire Province of Saskatchewan, it said.
On the team鈥檚 defense with Pennell are: Allison Hayhurst of Wapella, Taylor Kirwan of Gull Lake and Hannah Korol, Grace Tam and Dana Wood, all of Saskatoon. The team鈥檚 two goalies are Ryan Fontaine of Prince Albert and Jordan Ivanco of Saskatoon. In forward positions are: Kate Ball, Jordyn Holmes, Kaitlin Jockims and Grace Shirley, all of Saskatoon; Kennedy Bobyck and Miranda Hatt of Regina, Joelle Fiala and Mackenna Parker of Clavet, Anna Leschyshyn of Grasswood, Taylor Lind of Shaunavon, Jenna MacLean of Wilcox and Jayda Sachs of Warman.
One may visit https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/national-championships/women/national-u18/2017 for more information.
