A Queenstown teen is one of just two Kiwi ice hockey players selected to attend an international youth development camp in Uzbekistan this August.
Wakatipu Wild defencewoman Lucy Boniface, 15, will head to Tashkent for the free Olympic Council of Asia-International Ice Hockey Federation under-16 Asian Ice Hockey Youth Camp, from August 1 till 7, along with Aucklander Markus MacDonald.
They’ll be accompanied by Dunedin’s Jaydee Cabral (coach) and Winifred Davis (official).
Lucy, who started playing ice hockey in 2019, says she’s ‘‘super-excited’’ about the opportunity.
‘‘I think Markus MacDonald has got the skill side, I’m the player they’ll send to develop,’’ she laughs.
‘‘I’m very excited about that part, to learn new skills.’’
The former dancer decided to lace up skates after watching her brother, Lachy, play in a tournament in Japan in 2019, and being inspired by the team culture and travel opportunities.
In the United States, on the way back to New Zealand, she got kitted out, came home, hit the ice and hasn’t looked back.
Last year, she was one of the youngest members of the New Zealand Women’s Ice Hockey League championship-winning Wild team, and was then one of six Wild players selected to represent NZ at the under-18 world champs in Bulgaria.
She credits her experience with the Wild — which will open its season in Queenstown this weekend against Auckland Steel — for her rapid development.
‘‘[Last year] I was very lucky, I got heaps of time on ice.
‘‘They’re very good at giving the young ones a go, so it was a really great team to be part of … the team atmosphere is great.’’
Lucy’s expecting the opening double-header to be ‘‘our hardest two games of the season’’.
‘‘Auckland … is a very determined and quite skilled team, so it’s going to be tough.
‘‘But from the looks of our training so far, we’re looking alright this year.’’
Coach Colin McIntosh agrees.
‘‘All the ladies are raring and ready to go, which is a very good sign.’’
As to Lucy’s selection, McIntosh says it ‘‘wasn’t a surprise’’ she made the cut.
‘‘She’s a great young lady, definitely hard-working, and on and off the ice she’s a good example to girls her age, but also girls younger than her as well.’’
Wild play Auckland Steel at Queenstown Ice Arena tonight and tomorrow — puck drop both nights is 7pm; tickets via Eventfinda
When two priorities collide
Wakatipu Wild coach Colin McIntosh tried to find a way to be in two places at once this weekend.
The Wild is playing Auckland Steel at the Queenstown Ice Arena on Saturday night — puck drop’s around the time he’s expected off the ice in Christchurch, where he’s suiting up for the SkyCity Stampede in the first of two games against the Canterbury Red Devils.
‘‘Just with the Stampede missing five bodies, because we’ve got players on vacation and a couple of suspensions, my hands were kind of tied.
‘‘It’s unfortunate … it’s not a good position to be in, to have to pick one or the other, because they’re both top of my priority list.
‘‘It just sucks one of them won’t get me for the entire weekend — my life is hockey, so it sucks when you’re pulled away from it at one point.’’
However, the Wild’s game will be on YouTube, so he’ll still be able to keep an eye on the women and possibly dabble in some remote coachng, if required.
