Keyra Buziak (left), and Kiana McNinch (right) were named to Team Saskatchewan this week, for the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship, next month in Manitoba. (Submitted photos/Hockey Sask.)

By Martin Martinson

Representing Sask Hockey

Local talents Buziak, McNinch reflect on selection to Team Sask U18 program

Oct 20, 2021 | 5:26 PM

When Team Saskatchewan announced their U18 Female Hockey roster this week, for Western Regionals, there were a couple of names that stood out in particular to hockey fans in the Battlefords community.

North Battleford local, Keyra Buziak was named to the squad, along with former Triple-A Sharks standout and Turtleford product, Kiana McNinch.

Keyra Buziak

This will be the first time Buziak will suit up to represent the province in Team Saskatchewan’s green and white. She said she couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity ahead to don the Team Sask. sweater, and represent not only the province, but her home community of the Battlefords as well.

“I’m just really excited for the opportunity,” she said with an audible smile. “Everyone else for the most part is from bigger cities, and I’m from a smaller [centre], so it’s going to be really exciting.”

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Keyra Buziak, pictured here in action for the Saskatoon Stars. (Submitted photo/Keyra Buziak)

Currently in her second year of the Sask. Female U18 Triple-A League (SFU18AAAHL) with the Saskatoon Stars, Buziak said with much uncertainty surrounding the fate of having an event like this heading into the year, it’s a great boon to be able to have the chance to compete as part of the program.

“It was pretty exciting, but pretty nerve racking actually too,” she said, as her reaction to hearing the news she had in fact, made it. “Just to actually go play some hockey that I thought might be cancelled for the year, it’s exciting just to know that this is going to happen, and to have this opportunity ahead.”

Kiana McNinch

McNinch, who grew up just under an hour north of the Battlefords in Turtleford, began her Triple-A career with the Battlefords Sharks, before eventually joining the Swift Current Wildcats of the SFU18AAAHL where she is playing this year.

This will be her second time suiting up for Saskatchewan, as she also represented the province during her second year of U16, and was named to the shortlist for last year’s squad, prior to the cancellation of the hockey season due to the pandemic.

Kiana McNinch pictured here in action with the Swift Current Wildcats. (Submitted photo/Kiana McNinch)

McNinch said now as a 17-year-old, in her final year of eligibility for the U18 team, that makes it all the more special to have the chance to take part in the Team Sask. program once again.

“It’s an honour really, to get to represent your province, and have that type of responsibility on your shoulders for hockey,” she said. “It means a lot [too] as Nationals were cancelled last year and we weren’t really sure what this year was going to look like, so I was really excited when I got the news that we’ll get to move forward with some type of competition against other provinces this year.”

Buziak, McNinch and their U18 Team Sask. teammates will suit up for the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship, in a four-team tournament that will be hosted in Portage la Prairie, Man., Nov. 1 to 6, 2021.

For a look at the full Team Sask. U18 Female Hockey Roster, click here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1