The Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks will test their skills against the South Alberta Hockey Academy on Jan. 17. (Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

Female U18 AAA Hockey

Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks set for exhibition matchup with SAHA

Jan 16, 2026 | 6:05 AM

The Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks who remain undefeated in regulation this season won their first pair of games coming out of the break against the Prince Albet Mann Northway Northern Bears.

Sharks head coach Nolan Horbach said that while it took a bit for the team to get their legs under them after an extended break, he’s happy with how they played coming back.

“More than anything, it was just good to get back into the flow of all the things (on) game day and just get back to what we had been doing before the break.”

That Sharks’ record now stands at 15-0-2-1 (W-L-OTW-OTL). Before they continue the season, they will be heading to Oyen, Alberta to play an exhibition game against the South Alberta Hockey Academy (SAHA). Horbach said that after seeing some other teams in the league play exhibition games against teams outside of the league, they reached out to a few in the offseason and were able to set up a match.

“I thought it was a good chance to see some different competition and also kind of force us to play a different style of game, or challenge us in different areas,” said Horbach. “I’m looking forward to the challenge. SAHA is a good team, and it’ll be a good test. I think more than anything, it kind of forces us to raise our game maybe a little bit more, which we’ll be ready for.”

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Horbach said that he expects it to be a faster-paced game than they are used to.

“All the academy teams we’ve played in any of the tournaments or showcases have consistently been fast. So I think that suits our game well, but it also forces us to play that game and execute it at a higher speed. I think that’s the biggest thing that we’re looking to take away.”

The game is at a neutral site in Oyen and Horbach hopes the event will help bring more fans to the leagues.

“I think it’s a chance to showcase the growth of the female game and take our game on the road and show what we can do against an academy team that’s had a good year so far. Hopefully, we have a good turnout for the folks out there.”

The game will take place on Jan. 17 before the Sharks head back to the Battlefords to take on the Swift Current Innovation Federal Credit Union Wildcats on Jan. 18.

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ryan.lambert@pattisonmedia.com