By Joel van der Veen

LOREBURN — It’s been a year of big opportunities and achievements for Loreburn’s Jasey Book, and 2015 isn’t over yet.

Book, 17, was part of the provincial hockey team that headed to Huntsville, Ont., earlier this month to compete in the 2015 National Women’s U18 Championship.

“Saskatchewan’s usually the underdog coming into this type of tournament,” she said, adding that she enjoyed playing fast-paced hockey with some of the province’s top players.

The experience added to an already exciting year that saw Book playing on the provincial team at the 2015 Canada Winter Games and also learning she’d been accepted to play for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies next season.

Jasey is the daughter of Brian and Carol Book, who farm near Loreburn. She previously went to school there but now attends Grade 12 at Swift Current Comprehensive High School.

Book was one of five players from the Swift Current AAA Diamond Energy Wildcats to make the provincial team, along with Kayla Kirwan, Merissa Zerr, Chloe Smith and Mikayla Swallow.

As one of two goalies, she was in the net for half of the four games played by Team Saskatchewan over the course of the tournament, which ran from Nov. 4 to 8.

Book’s performance was a highlight of the team’s opening game against Manitoba on Nov. 4, which resulted in a narrow 2-1 loss after going to a shootout.

She stopped 35 out of 36 shots on net during regulation play, earning her the title of player of the game.

The team endured two more losses in preliminary games, losing 5-1 to Ontario Red and then losing 3-2 to Quebec. Team Saskatchewan ended the tournament on a high note, shutting out the Alberta team 4-0 on Nov. 7 to finish in seventh place overall.

Ontario Red went on to defeat Manitoba 2-1 in the gold medal game, while Ontario Blue bested British Columbia 4-3 to grab the bronze.

For the full story, please see the Nov. 23 edition of The Davidson Leader.