As 2016 drew to a close, Battlefords Sharks forward Dakota Peterson got some exciting news about her future.
The Battleford product found out that she had received an opportunity to play for the McKendree University Bearcats women’s hockey team in Lebanon, Ill. starting this fall.
“It’s a really exciting time for me,” Peterson said. “I’m really happy to be going down to the States and experience something new, while also getting the chance to play hockey while I’m studying at school.”
Peterson, who is a Grade 12 student at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, wanted to play hockey at a post-secondary level but she wasn’t sure where to start in terms of finding the right school to attend.
In the end, a conversation away from the rink proved to be a pivotal turning point.
“A friend of mine told me about an organization called NCSA (Next College Student Athlete) that helps athletes get connected with schools in the United States and Canada,” Peterson said. “After I got connected with them, I got in contact with a few schools.
“After some thinking, I ended up settling on McKendree. They are a new program and I’ll be able to make my mark there on the team right away while also getting used to everything down in the United States.”
The Bearcats, who have an 9-8 record this year, compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and go up against programs like the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers.
“I’ll be all over the place in the next few years,” Peterson said. “They travel everywhere from Colorado to Ohio, so it will be a great way to see a lot of the country.”
Peterson will also have the chance to be in the program that she wanted to study at the school, which is located a half-hour east of St. Louis, Mo.
“I’ll be getting a bachelor of science degree and I’ve declared for pre-veterinary medicine,” Peterson said. “That way, I’ll be able to transfer to any school in Canada after I finish up my four years down there.”
Peterson is the second player on the Sharks roster to have committed to a post-secondary program this season.
Forward Jordan Kulbida will be playing in the U Sports ranks as a member of the Regina Cougars next year.
“It says quite a lot for our program to have both Dakota and Jordan heading to schools next year,” Sharks head coach Gary Berggren said. “It gives our younger players someone that they can look up to on the team and something that they can strive for when it comes to the future.
“For Dakota to have the chance to see so much of a new country while playing hockey is something that I’m sure she’s going to remember for years to come.”
Peterson was the first player to be part of the Bearcats' recruiting class for the 2017-18 season, and would be the only member of the women’s hockey program to be from Saskatchewan.
“It would be really exciting if there’s some more players coming from close to home,” Peterson said. “With that said, I’m really looking forward to meeting some new people from other places, and there will be a few Canadians that are on the team already, so I won’t be too alone down there.”
Heading into a pair of road games this weekend against the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Peterson tied for second in team scoring with 10 points in 19 games.
In her rookie campaign last season, she hade six points in 28 games.
“I’ve become a lot more comfortable with the puck this year and I’m not as timid as I was before,” Peterson said.
“There were times last year where I would get rid of the puck right away and it seemed like I was just skating on the ice. Now, thanks to having a bit more confidence, I’ve been able to take more shots and have a lot more speed when I’m moving the puck around.”
Peterson’s confidence in her sophomore campaign with the Sharks is something that her coach has noticed as well.
“She’s become much more of a leader on the team,” Berggren said. “She’s really driving hard to the net and she’s really become much more of an all-around player.
“When you come into the league, there’s a bit of an adjustment period where you have to get used to the speed that you face on a regular basis. Dakota was able to get through that, and she’s been doing a great job for us.”
With only a couple of weeks left in the regular season, Peterson will be drawing off the things she’s learned over the last couple of years to help the Sharks’ younger players get ready for the playoffs.
“We have a number of new players on the team this year, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect when the season started,” Peterson said. “Right away, I was able to see that everyone has a lot of talent and it’s been fun to see them get better as the year has gone on.
“Consistency is the biggest thing that we’re working on right now. We have some tough stretches at times during games, but we’re counting to build on the little things in order to get better.”
On the personal side of things, Peterson will be using her last few weeks in the Midget AAA ranks to prepare herself for what will happen this fall.
“Once school starts, it’s going to be pretty busy with my classes and all of the travel that we’re going to have,” Peterson said.
“I’ve already started to focus on making sure I have a perfect balance with my school work and my time on the ice.”
