The U18 AAA Battlefords Sharks keep core and add young talent going into 2025-26 season. (Byron Hildebrand/Facebook)
Unfinished Business

Sharks reload with core stars and rising talents for 2025-26

Jun 30, 2025 | 4:23 PM

After a record-breaking season that saw the Battlefords U18 AAA Sharks finish first in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League (SFU18AAAHL) and reach the finals, the team is locking in a strong core and adding exciting young talent as they aim to take the next step in 2025-26.

Despite falling just short in the championship series to the Saskatoon Stars, the Sharks have cemented themselves as a force in the province. Head coach and general manager Nolan Horbach believes last year was just the beginning.

“This group has a little bit of unfinished business. For those that have been here the last couple of years, they understand that there’s another level we need to go,” Horbach said.

Core Returns

The Sharks will return the majority of last season’s roster, including their top four forwards Danika Dureau, Anneka Aspaas, Maggie Rauckman and Sarah McNabb, as well as top-pair defensive duo Kahli Keen and Savannah Mucha.

Horbach praised the returning group’s growth and experience going into this season.

“I think they’ve got an incredible skill set. Now with another year, I think they understand what it takes to play in the league. I expect the game to kind of slow down and get easier for them as they continue.”

He also emphasized a renewed focus on execution.

“We were successful, and maybe it came a little bit too easy at times. There were definitely opportunities where we could have finished some games earlier if we had executed better.”

New Talent from Within

Three players from the U15 AA Northwest Sharks will make the full-time jump to the AAA roster this season: forward Brooke Weber and defensemen Berkley Wuttunee and Elan Kramer.

“One of the most exciting things is that we’ve got three of our affiliate players from the U15 Sharks joining us full-time. They all bring a great skill set, and being from the community, it’s an important factor, and they’re just great kids, they fit in well. They’re very familiar with our group already,” he said.

All three played in a handful of games for the AAA Sharks last season and are expected to be big contributors this season, especially Weber, who led the U15 AA league in points, boasting 63 goals and 32 assists for 95 in 27 games last season.

External Additions

Along with internal signing, the Sharks reinforced their lineup by signing forward Julia Poole from the U15 AA Lumsden Bethune Lynx and goalie Aura Sembalerus from the U15 AA Saskatoon Impact.

Last season with the Lynx, Poole was a standout, notching 37 goals and 38 assists for 75 points in 27 games.

“Julia just does it all. She makes plays, she was second in scoring to Brooke in the U15 AA league, she’s one of those forwards who makes everybody better around her. She has incredible hockey IQ and great awareness. You don’t see many players have the skill set that she does, and she’s highly motivated,” Horbach said.

Sembalerus, another rising star, also brings a high ceiling and strong work ethic to the group. She led U15 AA last season in goals against average with a 1.91 and save percentage with a .940.

“She’s a fantastic kid and athlete, she just wants to be better and is super excited to be a Shark. We’re excited about what she brings to our team.”

Culture and Community

Beyond the roster moves, Horbach emphasized the Sharks’ commitment to team culture and community engagement for future success.

“We focus so much attention on our culture, and it is on full display, how the girls act, how they carry themselves. From a coaching perspective, that was extremely positive and rewarding, that takes commitment, and we are going to continue working on that.”

Horbach added that the Sharks’ playoff run drew strong local support, something the organization hopes to continue building on.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever connected so well with the community as we did last season, there was a lot of excitement. From an organizational perspective, it’s definitely a priority to continue showing the community that they’ve got some pretty elite hockey to watch and it’s our job to make sure we give a good product to watch.”

Looking Ahead

As the Sharks prepare for the 2025-26 campaign, expectations are high and rightfully so. With a deep roster, promising newcomers, and a motivated core, Battlefords is hoping to challenge for the championship once again.

“Everyone’s excited to move forward and keep pushing the program to new heights. We took a lot of time to reflect on what we did to get here. It’s going to be a great year, we got better but so did the rest of the league, so we’re excited to get things going,” said Horbach.

Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes

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