A thrill for Swift Current Wildcat Taylor Kirwan earlier this month when she got play with Team Saskatchewan at the Under 18 Female National Championship in Regina.

Along with Wildcats' teammates Chloe Smith and Mikayla Swallow, the Gull Lake native took on the best Under 18 female talent across the country.

For Kirwan, who finished the tournament with an assist, it was an honour just to get to wear the Saskatchewan jersey.

"It was unbelievable to represent Saskatchewan," she said.

"It was cool to come from the Southwest, not many people come from here to play on Team Saskatchewan. It opened a lot of eyes up to the girls back home, and hopefully I can be a role model for them."

Kirwan, Smith and Swallow all took part in each of Saskatchewan's four games at the championship.

Kirwan says having two of her teammates at the tournament made a big difference.

"Mikayla and I, as defence, we didn't really get to play together but with them there it helped me out a lot throughout the week," she said.

"They gave me someone to talk to and helped me get comfortable with the team."

Team Saskatchewan ultimately fell in the 5th place game to Team Alberta 6-4.

Wildcats' Head Coach Terry Pavely, who was an Assistant Coach with Team Sask. says there are key aspects of the game he wants to see the three girls bring back to league play.

"The intensity, the speed and those types of things that were evident every game," he said.

One of the things we have talked about at pracitice is when you get to the next level, there is an increased level of talent, every game was hard and every shift was hard. As Team Saskatchewan, there were no shifts that were easy. Even when we cylced a team a little bit it was still hard work. That is the type of team we (Wildcats) want to become."

Kirwan and the Wildcats will resume their league schedule over the weekend, when they battle the Battlefords Sharks on Saturday and Sunday.