Battlefords Sharks captain Jordan Kulbida will be staying in Saskatchewan for the next step of her hockey career.
The 17-year-old forward from Saskatoon will be joining the University of Regina Cougars program next fall after she committed to the U Sports team last week.
“It’s where I wanted to go and I was really excited when I got offered a spot on their team,” Kulbida said.
“I’ve talked to my parents a lot about what I was going to do next, and it was great to get all of that figured out right away.”
Kulbida got a chance to visit the University of Regina campus earlier this year and was very impressed with what she saw.
“The campus is nice and small and everyone with the hockey team was great to talk with, especially the coaches,” Kulbida, who plans to study kinesiology, said.
“They are a program that’s really starting to establish themselves. They are currently fourth in Canada West and they are getting better and better each year.”
After putting up 12 points in 28 games for the Sharks last season, Kulbida is once again leading the team in scoring this year with 10 points in 15 games.
“She’s made huge strides with us over the last two years,” Sharks head coach Gary Berggren said.
“She’s become a real all-around player. She’s a lot more confident and she uses her speed a lot more.”
Kulbida also became the captain for the Sharks this season and has used the lessons she’s learned from previous teammates to become a vocal leader.
“I’ve been on teams and at camps with (former Shark and current Nipissing Laker) Jetta Derenoski in the past and she’s someone I’ve really looked up to a lot,” Kulbida said.
“I want to be the best leader that I can be on the ice. When I’m the in the locker room, I can be a little bit vocal at times, but I just want my teammates to look up to me as someone they can lean on.”
As she gears up for the second half of the season, Klubida is looking to finish off her time with the Sharks on a high note before she moves to Regina.
“My biggest focus is just staying in good shape,” Kulbida said. “I’m a smaller player and I’m going to be playing against bigger and older girls next season, so I’ll need to be prepared for that.”
Kulbida isn’t the only Sharks player that has determined her hockey future over the last week.
Forward Dakota Peterson will be heading to McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois next season.
