Esterhazy’s Kiah Shields, daughter of Kelsey and Dave Shields, has taken a big step forward in her hockey career. After graduating from Esterhazy High School, she signed with the University of Regina Cougars and is now skating in her first year of university-level hockey.
This past weekend, from September 12–14, the University of Regina (U of R), University of Saskatchewan (U of S), and University of Manitoba (U of M) women’s hockey teams not only competed against each other but also mentored local female hockey players at the Westland Arena in Yorkton. Players from the U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, and U18 age groups benefited from on-ice training as well as dry-land sessions led by the university athletes.
When asked what it is like to be playing university hockey and about her journey to get to this point, Kiah reflected on her path.
“I grew up where female hockey wasn’t really that common. It’s always been a goal of mine to reach university hockey, and for me, that meant moving away from home at a young age and sacrificing some things, but it was really worth it. I moved away at 15 to go to Weyburn with the Gold Wings for AAA hockey. Things have been busy with university, but it’s something that I wouldn’t trade anything for. It’s a privilege to be able to play, and I know there are a lot of people that have the same goal, or have that dream. It’s amazing and it’s something that I’m thankful for every day to be able to do.”
Her parents and several coaches have played important roles in shaping her career.
“I think the reason that I did get into hockey is that my parents threw me on skates when I was pretty much able to walk. I fell in love with hockey right away and my dad was a big hockey player. I saw my brother play high level hockey and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. My brother had also moved away at 15 and I saw what he got to do and the opportunities that he got, and I knew that was what I wanted to do too. I think having that in the family pushed me to explore my own goals that way, just in a different path.
I’ve had a lot of coaches throughout my years. Jarrett Walker was my first coach, and I think he was a lot of fun, and he kind of helped me grow the love for the game. Through the years, I think Chandy Kaip as a head coach of the Gold Wings helped. If I hadn’t gone there and if she hadn’t given me the opportunity to go to Weyburn, I wouldn’t be here. Casey O’Brien of Edge2Edge Hockey worked with me as a skills coach for over 6 years and has allowed me to coach alongside him for young athletes for a few summers now. Brandy McMaster is my current coach and I am very grateful for the opportunities she gives me and everything that she does for the Cougars. I am very excited to have Brandy as a coach this season as well as for upcoming seasons. I’m very thankful for the coaches, my billets there and my parents that were able to support me and I’m very lucky to have this opportunity.”
For young athletes aspiring to reach the next level, Kiah offered some advice.
“I would say, just keep your head down and grind. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, and there’s going to be people who maybe move towards their goals faster or slower, but you just have to be focused on yourself and focused on what you want. You know who you are and what you’re worth; just keep your head down and grind and it’ll come to you.”
Kiah also reflected on her local hockey experience.
“I played local hockey from U5 until U9. I played in Esterhazy for a few years, and I switched to girls hockey in Melville for my pee wee years, and then in Bantam. I went to White City and played U 15 for two years with the Prairie Storm. Then, I went to Weyburn from there.”
As for her inspirations, she shared her favourite teams and players.
“I like the PWHL Toronto Sceptres and the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins. Natalie Spooner is my favourite player. The ability to watch women’s sports was something that I never had growing up. It’s so awesome because you just see the rise in female sports which is great for young girls.”
Shields also spoke about the moment she realized she could play hockey at a higher level.
“My first year of U15 hockey is when I was able to experience some of my teammates committing to other places and I realized that it was a possibility for me too. In this area, our triple A team had shut down Melville and the program was no longer there. I knew that I’d have to sacrifice things and move away from home, but that was then when I realized that this was what I wanted to do.”
Now in a position to inspire others, Kiah values the opportunity to mentor younger hockey players such as in this past weekend in Yorkton.
“It’s such an honour to be able to coach these younger players. A lot of the time I work with them over the summer and I’ve gotten to know them and grow with them over the years. I think it’s such a cool thing to see this level of hockey in this area, especially female, because growing up I never had that around here. This program in Yorkton wasn’t a thing when I was growing up, and I know that if I were little at this time and I were here, I would have loved it. That’s how I think of it, knowing that this is what these little girls are thinking and this is kind of the experience that we’re here to give them. I think it’s so cool that we get to connect with them and talk with them. They tell us about their hockey goals and how long they’ve been playing for. We grow as people getting to connect with them, not just as hockey players. I feel a special connection with this event in Yorkton being pretty much my hometown and seeing girls from my hometown have the experiences that I didn’t is awesome because they deserve it, and it’s been a long time coming. I’m really excited for my future here with the U of R Cougars. I’m planning to be here for a full five years. I’m really excited for where that takes me and where this team goes.”
Shields played in her first official U Sports games over the weekend. On Friday, September 12, the Cougars lost a hard-fought 2–1 game to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at Westland Arena in Yorkton.
“It was pretty back and forth the whole time. It was a really good game, really fun to play, and it was my first U Sports game,” she said.
The Cougars bounced back on Sunday, September 14, defeating the University of Manitoba Bisons 3–2 in a shootout.