CARSTAIRS — The parents and former coach of a 17-year-old Carstairs-area female hockey player are thrilled to see her make the Team Canada U18 team.
Defenceman Sade Sandilands, 17, was named to the team on Aug. 11 after a tryout camp.
Team Canada played a three-game exhibition series against the U.S. U18 national team last week.
“Both her dad (Bill) and I are extremely proud of Sade and excited for her and this amazing opportunity,” Sade’s mom, Cindy wrote in an email.
“She is very honoured and humbled to be in the select group of players across the country that were chosen for the U18 women's national team.
“She has worked extremely hard over the years and put in a lot of miles and hours on and off the ice to get to this point.
“This has been her dream since I can remember, to play for her country and wear the Canadian jersey.”
“She has always been very driven and works hard at what she does whether it is at school or on the ice,” Cindy added.
Cindy was asked where Sade gets her hockey talent from.
She noted that ever since they were really young, Sade, her twin brother Scott and her sister Sierra spent “many hours working on their hockey skills on our homemade rink at the farm.”
Scott plays U18 AAA hockey and is expected to play in Calgary next season.
“Sade started hockey at a young age and always excelled,” Cindy wrote. “She is a natural athlete, but her work ethic has got her to where she is.”
Cindy noted Sade has driven many miles over the past couple of years to play hockey and train at the Edge School in Calgary.
Central Alberta Longhorns owner Jason Jaffray is also pleased for Sade and her achievement.
He knows Sandilands well, having coached her in previous years.
In addition to playing for Longhorns spring hockey teams in Olds, she has also played for the U15 Grizzlys, and lately in the Calgary area.
Sandilands has also helped run some hockey schools that Jaffray has run.
Sandilands lives on a farm about 15 minutes west of Carstairs.
“She always wanted to do a little bit extra, so she and her brother would hire me out during COVID and we would do hours of skill sessions,” Jaffray said during an interview.
“She's a super-committed athlete that I think over the years has just outworked the rest of her peers,” he said.
“She was always a good player, but she has she has just outworked and out-competed the rest of her peers so that she's put herself into a really good opportunity, now in a really good spot with Team Canada.
“We couldn't really be prouder of it. It's very cool accomplishment for sure.
“That's a big accomplishment for anybody who's around the Olds area, and somebody who played in Olds.”
Sandilands describes herself as a primarily a defensive defenceman, but also likes to get up in the rush.
She’s also had opportunities to quarterback the powerplay, a role she relishes.
“(I just like) being able to move the pack around, getting shots through and stuff,” Sandilands said during an interview with the Albertan. “I think it's just really fun to be a part of, especially when you create chemistry with your teammates on the powerplay. It's really fun.”
Sandilands says she started skating at about age three and began playing hockey with Scott at the age of about four.
“We kind of just grew up playing hockey and we would always (play on) outdoor rinks,” Sandilands said. “I've just grown up around it my whole life, and I just I love like being able to do things like this.”
“The people that I've met playing hockey, and all my best friends, I met them from hockey. The friends you make and the places you get to go to, I think that's like one of my favorite parts,” she added.
Going into the three-game series versus the US U18 team, Sandilands was not quite sure what to expect, except that it’ll be tough hockey.
“They just made their team too, so it's super hard (to know what to expect),” Sandilands said.
“You don't know a lot of those players and stuff, but it's always been a super competitive game against them, so we're definitely expecting the same this time. It's going to be close, but I think we'll do our best and try win all three games.”
Sandilands will be moving to Etobicoke, Ontario on the edge of Toronto, for her senior year to play for the Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins U22 team.
She was also offered a full four-year Division 1 scholarship at the University of Maine where she will go after she graduates high school.
However, Sandilands hasn’t decided yet precisely want she wants to do for a career.
“I've always been into like the sport side of things and sports management and stuff. But at this point I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do yet. It's something that I'm still trying to figure out,” she said.
Sandilands likes several other sports besides hockey.
Over the years, she’s played basketball, lacrosse and volleyball.
“It's always super busy with hockey and I don't really have much time. When I can, I still play soccer,” she said.
