Looking at the Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks standouts through the season

“Her ability to accept the pass, I think it’s what sets her apart. There’s not too many pucks that she can’t pick up, and then when she does get it, she’s always making a play. It’s just there’s no panic,” said Horbach.

When Danika Dureau was out of the lineup for an extended period of time down the homestretch of the season, it was Aspaas who stepped up.

“She was our go-to player there. We just knew that anytime she was on the ice, she was going to make something happen,” said Horbach. “To see her win the title was awesome, and she’s been a huge part of what we’ve been able to do this year.”

The Sharks had the top two scorers in the league, as Dureau was just one point behind Aspaas with 37 (25G-12A) a season after leading the league in points. “She’s a presence in our room. She’s a presence on the ice. She just makes things happen and is a threat,” said Horbach, who is thrilled to see how Dureau has been a leader by example.

“We can put up points, but if you look at their commitment to playing away from the puck, which has been a huge focus, not only this year, but I look at someone like Danica, it’s been the entire three years and to see them kind of just buy in and allow us to do things we want to do away from the puck and shut teams down.”

Another big reason for the Sharks success has been the goaltending. Mackenzie Seth is 14-2 with a .941 save percentage and 1.42 goals against average. Rookie Aura Sembalerus is a perfect 14-0 with a .950 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average as a 16-year-old.

“There’s not too many things you can say about them that doesn’t make you proud from the way they show up and they work the way they work together,” said Horbach. “If you look specifically at Aura, the numbers speak for themselves, but just what she’s done coming into the league it’s not an easy jump when you got girls that are three years older and ready to head off to college next year, firing pucks. She’s just she’s just been all in.”

Seth, who is in her third year in the league, has been a big help for Sembalerus adjusting during her first year.

“Having someone like that to watch and see what they’ve done and what they need to do obviously helps. Just knowing that you’ve got that veteran presence there to connect with if you need to talk about anything, it’s huge for us,” said Horbach.

Sembalerus isn’t the only rookie who has made a huge impact on the Sharks this season. Horbach praised Berkley Wuttunee and Elan Kramer for their contributions on the blue line, as well as Brooke Weber (16G-15A-31P) and Julia Poole (9G-16A-25P) for their offensive output.

“They love the game, they study the game, and they just want to keep getting better. So it challenges us as coaches to be better and also the rest of the girls around them.”

Horbach also described rookie Charleigh Johnston as an “unsung hero” on the team.

“Just does everything you ask of her and pitches in offensively and defensively,” he said.

While some players have shined bright, Horbach says every single player on the squad has contributed to some degree. “We’ve seen kids grow, seen their game, you know, with and without the puck, take big strides. And again, ultimately as a team, we’re sitting in a position because of what they’ve done.”

The Sharks will find out their first playoff opponent after the first round concludes on Wednesday night.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com

by Ryan Lambert

Looking at the Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks standouts through the season

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