Skelton plays big role with grit

What Aubrey Skelton lacks in size, she more than makes up for in heart.

The five-foot-three blue-liner from Hartney, who recently committed to the women’s hockey team at Dakota College at Bottineau, comes by that resolve both on the ice and the rugby pitch.

“I think rugby definitely helped my stamina,” Skelton said. “You need a lot of endurance for that, of course, and also the aggressiveness with being up front and tackling. Also, the mentality because it’s a very tough sport.”

The 17-year-old, right-shooting defender plays with the Deloraine-based Southwest Stars, and will be in action this evening at the Keystone Centre’s Enns Brothers Arena when they meet the Brandon Wheaties in under-18 Rural Manitoba Female Hockey League action.

Through 12 games, Skelton has two assists and 12 penalty minutes on a team that is 5-5-0-0 and sitting in seventh place in the 10-team league.

Bottineau’s head scout, Neil Franklin of Brandon — via Deloraine and Melita — has certainly noticed her grit.

“It became apparent after watching Aubrey the first half of this season, that she had something special to offer to the college ranks,” Franklin said. “She’s small in height but a defenceman who is nearly impossible to knock over or bully out on the ice. She’s a captain, team leader, and her consistent work ethic defies all the odds of not being able to play as a small player.

“Combine that with being a rugby player, toughness comes with the territory.”

She is the fourth Westman player to commit to the school recently, along with Hamiota forwards Brooke Facey and Alyshia McKinnon, and goaltender Shelby Brown of Nesbitt.

Skelton began skating at age four and playing a year later. She said the nature of the sport kept her coming back for more.

“I think it’s how fast-paced the game is,” Skelton said. “I’ve grown up also playing soccer and softball, and I just find that hockey is so much more impressive. I feel there is so much more adrenalin involved and that it’s faster paced than most sports.”

She didn’t move back to the blue-line until she was 13, when her coach randomly put her on the back end and moved one of the defenders up front. It proved to be a good fit based on how she prefers to play.

“I feel like I’m more of a defensive player and I like being able to protect the net,” Skelton said. “I feel like I’m quite aggressive in the defensive zone, whereas in offence I would rather just keep the puck in. I’m not much of a fancy player, it’s more about being able to keep the puck out of our net.”

Her grandfather Barry Gooden played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Selkirk Steelers, and also suited up for the Brandon Bobcats and Brandon Olympics. Her father Cory and brother Jesse also played the game but not at an advanced level, but the former has taken an active role in her development.

“My dad has actually coached almost every team I’ve played on up until this year,” said Skelton, whose family also includes mother Ashleigh and younger brother Mackenzie. “He isn’t coaching this year, but he’s put in a lot of work on the ice with me and my team, and taking me to all my practices and tournaments. He let me play on AA teams and house league and extra hockey throughout the year.

“He’s done a lot, and he’s always pushing me to be better. He tells me like it is. If I’m playing a bad game, he’s letting me know and trying to help me improve it. He’s also really good mentally with helping me improve as well.”

That’s led to a steady progression in her hockey journey. But it hasn’t changed who she fundamentally is as a player.

“I think I’m a fairly decent skater,” Skelton said. “I think this year especially I’ve been a lot more heads-up and slowed down the play so that I’m able to pass or make the correct play. I think I’ve really improved this year with making sure the puck gets out of our zone and making sure I’m not just throwing it away and making sure the play gets set directly.”

Skelton, who goes to Hartney School but played rugby with the Souris Sabres, has also taken on a new role with this year’s Stars club. She is serving as captain and takes the job seriously.

“I feel like it’s important to have someone who is fairly dedicated,” Skelton said. “I know we all want to win, but it’s just having that person. We also have quite a few alternate captains, and I feel like our leadership group is there to help the people who maybe aren’t getting as much ice time or just to lift other people up as much as ourselves.

“Some people can’t do that for themselves, so to be able to do that for them helps not only them but also us as a team. It’s just being able to get our team going and push ourselves is what’s important to me.”

The push to stay in the game while she attended university is a fairly recent phenomenon.

She began to think about playing post-secondary hockey when she was in Grade 9 and skating with the under-15 AAA Westman Wildcats.

“I really liked hockey, but I also started rugby,” Skelton said. “I knew I wanted to play one or the other in post-secondary, and then when Neil reached out to my dad first, then I started to think about Bottineau. I never really had that as a possibility in my head, but when Neil approached, that’s when I was thinking of hockey.”

She had other schools in mind, but between Franklin and a conversation with coach Reed Loucks and some staff at Bottineau, her search was over.

Skelton visited the campus for the first time last week, and it didn’t take long for her to make a final decision.

“When I first came in there, everybody knew my name and what I wanted to do at school and that I was there for hockey,” Skelton said. “It felt like home. Everyone wants you to do well there, I really liked how small the campus was and that it was close to home.”

She quickly discovered that committing had some unexpected benefits. The biggest one is that it isn’t on her mind all the time anymore.

“I like it a lot more,” Skelton said. “I feel like I’m a lot less stressed, and there is a weight off my shoulders. I like that I can focus more on my schooling right now and my hockey right now. I don’t really have to worry about what’s to come next.”

Skelton is planning to take her prerequisites for sonography, which will allow her to work in diagnostic medical sonography, better known as ultrasound. She can do two years at Bottineau, and then will have to move on to either Minot State or the University of Winnipeg.

While the adventure won’t begin until next fall, she’s ready to get started.

“I’m very excited,” Skelton said. “I’m really excited to meet a ton of new people and get to play at a different level and pursue my career.”

pbergson@brandonsun.com