This fall, a Hay River hockey player will lace up her skates in a college arena.
Abby Webster has been recruited to play for the Olds College Broncos in Olds, Alta.
The eighteen-year-old forward was playing at the AAA-level in British Columbia before Olds sought her out.
"It was a good feeling," said Webster, of being offered an opportunity to play for Olds.
Webster's earliest experiences on the ice were in figure skates at age four or five, but she "wasn't really a big fan" of the sport, she told the Hub earlier this month.
At six, she switched to hockey and never looked back.
Webster played on Hay River teams until she was in Grade Nine, at which time she moved to Yellowknife to train for the Canada Winter Games.
She lived with her Aunt in Yellowknife for Grades 9 and 10 and attended Ecole St. Patrick High School.
As a woman, Webster has literally had to go the extra mile to move up the minor hockey ranks.
After Yellowknife, she moved to Trail, B.C. to play hockey at a higher level, and had to move again in Grade 12, this time to Prince George, B.C., because there were not enough girls left in Trail to form a team.
Living with billet families in B.C. was a big change for Webster, a self-described family person.
"But the families that I had were always really welcoming and treated me as one of their own," she said.
Being away from Hay River was hard for her parents, too, but Webster said they were always supportive.
"(Hockey) was something I really cared about and they wanted to support what I wanted and I was really grateful for that," she said.
Webster has played on both girls and boys teams, and while she prefers playing with girls – "I felt more comfortable and I found it a lot more fun playing with girls and against girls," she said – playing with boys improved her physical game.
"Playing with boys made me better in that sense because I'm able to push people off the puck," said Webster.
Webster's goal right now is to play for two years at Olds College, study sports management, and then transfer to a university where she can play at the varsity level.
Looking to the longer-term future, Webster hopes to return to her home of Hay River to work with Sport North or as recreation director for the town of Hay River.
"The big thing for me is I had so many sports when I was younger and I want that to continue for kids," she said.
She also wants to encourage other girls to play hockey.
Webster has played in the Canada Winter Games and has taken home a medal for hockey at three consecutive Arctic Winter Games, including the gold in 2016.
But her athleticism extends beyond the rink.
Webster played soccer and volleyball at the Canada Summer Games, and soccer at the Western Canada Summer Games.
Hockey has given Webster more than physical abilities. Playing hockey taught Webster leadership skills, and living away from home made her independent early in her life.
"You also meet a lot more people so I have more social skills and a lot of friends," she said.
Others hoping to play college-level hockey, take note: Webster said getting recruited to a college team takes more than just talent on the ice.
Coaches look for people who are easy to work with, coachable and passionate.
"The addition of Abby to our lineup gives our team a boost in size and strength, both offensively and defensively, as her style of play creates time and space for her teammates," said Chris Leeming, head coach of the Olds College Broncos.
"Abby strengthens our leadership core as she served as an assistant captain on her past team and aims to lead by example through determination and character."