For the second year in a row, a Weyburn female hockey player has been chosen to play for Saskatchewan at a national women's hockey tournament.

Nicole Stobart, 17, has made the cut for the provincial team heading to the Esso Women's Nationals in Sherwood Park, Alta.

Stobart, who typically plays for the Grenfell AA Prairie Stars, passed through two weekends of tryouts and cuts in 2003 before being chosen to the Saskatchewan team.

She also played on one of two provincial teams at the 2003 nationals, which were held in Saskatoon. Her team failed to win a medal, so Saskatchewan is gunning for a big win this year.

The Esso Women's Nationals draws teams from across Canada, including last year's champions, the Calgary Oval Extreme. The Extreme is known across Canada for contributing Olympic hockey players like Hayley Wickenheiser; there will likely be a few Olympians in the competition this year.

"It's quite an experience for me, since I'm only 17," said Stobart.

Stobart isn't the youngest girl on her team; this year's roster has quite a few 17-year-old players, she said. But there are a number of university players on the team as well.

The Saskatchewan team will be holding large practices in Lanigan a few times before the nationals, she said.

Stobart has been playing hockey for most of her life, starting at the tender age of four. Though she's participated in other sports like volleyball, she's given those up and concentrated on hockey in recent years.

"It's always been my favourite sport" she said.