McMullan commits to NAIT

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This article was published 27/01/2022 (1514 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Grade 12 students, deciding what post-secondary school to attend can be a stressful endeavour. 

That’s especially true for young hockey players, as many are trying to find the perfect fit not just for their career, but with their academic goals.

Brandon’s Sidney McMullan was in that boat until Tuesday when the Yellowhead Chiefs goaltender announced that she would be joining the NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) Ooks program in Edmonton starting next fall.

“This was something that I had spent a lot of time thinking about,” said McMullan, who will be enrolling in the x-ray technician program. “It’s great to finally have made my decision and really start to focus on what’s next.

“I had talked to a few places over the last couple of years, but NAIT really started talking to me at the start of this season and it kind of progressed from there. Not only is it a great hockey program, but it’s a good school and they have the exact program that I wanted to take.” 

McMullan also had a couple of players on the Ooks who told her about the school, with her closest contact being goaltender and fellow Brandonite Kaitlyn Slator.

“One of the biggest things they told me about was that NAIT has great courses and they’ll help you get to the places that you want to go,” McMullan said. 

“I’m really excited to experience all of that once I get to Edmonton and to have a familiar face like Kaitlyn to help me out.” 

McMullan is in her third season with the Chiefs, who compete in the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA circuit.

She has compiled a 25-10-2 record with a 2.34 goals against average, a .916 save percentage and four shutouts during that span, in addition to earning a spot on Manitoba’s roster for the Western Regional Women’s Under-18 Championship in Portage la Prairie earlier this fall.

“My experience here over the last three years has been awesome,” McMullan said. “Everything has been great, whether it’s been forming new connections with everyone involved with the team or just being able to play hockey with a great group of girls.”

When asked what parts of her game have improved the most over the last three seasons, McMullan was quick to say that she’s made a lot of strides in getting out of the crease to play the puck. 

“That’s come from the help I’ve got from my coaches and just having more experience with playing in the league,” McMullan added.

“It’s one of those situations where you learn more about the speed of the game each time that you get out on the ice. You only getter better if you have more chances to work on certain things.”

Going into a home game against the Central Plains Capitals in Shoal Lake last night, the 18-5-0 Chiefs were in second place in the standings and held a three-point edge over the Westman Wildcats.

“It took a little bit for all of us to get to know each other once again after a long time away (due to 2020-21 season being cancelled due to COVID-19) but I think we all started to build a great chemistry after just a couple of games, which has been a big key to our success,” McMullan said.

“We’re all working towards a goal of being really consistent in our play when we get to the post-season. It’s been a long time since any of us have played any playoff games, so I’m super anxious to have that experience again.” 

While her main focus is to help the Chiefs earn a spot at this year’s Esso Cup in Prince Albert, Sask., McMullan is also starting to think about what’s she’ll do in the off-season as she begins to train for her first season in the Alberta College Athletics Conference.

“I’ll have a better idea of what I’m going to be focusing on once we get to the summer, but I’m pretty sure my approach is going to be the same as it’s been in recent years,” McMullan said.

“I want to be as active as I can be each day and making sure that I don’t lose my flexibility. It’s super important that I stretch out before and after each workout and that I don’t do anything silly that would mess things up.”

McMullan is the fourth member of this year’s Chiefs roster to commit to a post-secondary program for next season. 

Blue-liner Josie Nichols will be joining her at NAIT, while forward Callie Maguire is headed to the Midland University Warriors in Fremont, Neb. and defender Louis Fergusson will suit up for the Manitoba Bisons.

» lpunkari@brandonsun.com

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