It was a bit of a change, but it didn’t take Williams Lake’s Julia Flinton long to warm up to her new home.
In September, after five years playing hockey at Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Sask., including winning a women’s national midget championship in 2011, Flinton began her first season playing on an athletic scholarship for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
As soon as her skates hit the ice, any apprehension the five-foot-seven, 18-year-old defenceman had about playing the game she loves vanished.
“It was a big change going from high school in general to university,” Flinton said. “That was the hardest part for me. But the transition onto the team was really easy. The girls are awesome and I just fell into a role so quickly and adjusted to the speed of the hockey so quickly.
“I couldn’t have asked for any more.”
Flinton, who turns 19 in April, is one of six rookies playing for the Huskies this year. She said her decision to stay in and play hockey in Saskatoon was an easy one to make.
“I was here for five years with Notre Dame and I know the province,” she said. “I sent out a bunch of recruitment letters and they [U of S] were the last letter I sent.”
Flinton said from there team’s coach, Steve Kook, came to watch her play that same week.
“We had a home tournament at Notre Dame and after the first game he watched he offered me a spot and told me they would offer me a scholarship and that they would love to have me,” she said. “It was a perfect match. I wanted to take agriculture and they have one of the best programs in the country, too. I talked to my parents and committed. The odds all lined up.”
Having settled in with her new teammates and new home, Flinton and the Huskies are now battling for the top spot in the Canada West women’s hockey standings.
The Huskies currently sit atop the Canada West standings with a 14-4-2 record over 20 games. Right on its heels, two points back, are the University of Calgary Dinos.
Flinton currently sits third place in scoring leaders among all defenceman with one goal and nine assists in 20 games played so far this season.
“It’s insanely tight [in the standings],” Flinton said. “Only the top four teams make playoffs.”
Currently the Huskies have 30 points while the fourth-place Lethbridge Pronghorns have 24. In fifth are the Manitoba Bisons with 23.
With just four games remaining on its schedule, Flinton said the goal now is to finish strong.
“Our goal is to win all of them, ultimately,” she said. “Our goal from the beginning of the year was to win nationals. We had one goal at the start of the year and that was it. I know with that mentality we’ll be successful.”
Canada West women’s hockey playoffs start Feb. 17, with the national finals to follow on March 11.
