Three players from the Lloydminster PWM Steelers are stepping onto bigger ice this year, and the program’s head coach says it is proof of what a small border city can build.
Alivia Foster and Kenzie Zidar have both earned invitations to a Team Alberta summer camp. Mya MacDonald, a defenceman who joined the Steelers for her final season of U18 AAA hockey, is headed to the University of Arizona to play NCAA hockey.
Dan Auchenburg is general manager of the Lloydminster Minor Hockey Association and head coach of the Steelers. He said the milestones reflect years of work, not a single lucky season.
“It says that female hockey development in Lloydminster is in a very healthy place,” Auchenburg said.
“For players from a smaller market to earn opportunities like a Team Alberta camp invite, it shows that the work being done by the athletes, families, coaches, and our association is producing results.”
A second Team Alberta camp invite
Foster, a defenceman, is heading into her second year at the Team Alberta camp. Auchenburg said her hockey IQ and composure under pressure set her apart.
“She competes hard, moves the puck well, and consistently makes smart decisions under pressure,” Auchenburg said.
Zidar plays goal, a position Auchenburg said demands as much mental toughness as physical skill. He pointed to her calm as her biggest strength.
“She stays calm under pressure, never gets rattled, and gives her teammates confidence knowing she’s back there,” Auchenburg said.
Both players will spend the camp competing against and alongside some of Alberta’s top talent, in front of coaches and scouts who evaluate players for the provincial team. Auchenburg said the exposure matters even if a player doesn’t make the final roster.
“Go there, compete hard, trust what got you there, and let your game speak for itself,” he said.
Bound for Arizona
MacDonald spent one season with the Steelers before earning a spot at the University of Arizona, a jump Auchenburg called well-deserved.
“She brought experience, maturity, and a steady presence to our group,” Auchenburg said. “She’s a dependable, hardworking player who earned the respect of her teammates and coaches through the way she competed every day.”
Auchenburg said U18 AAA hockey prepares players for the demands of U.S. college sport, where athletes balance a heavy schedule with academics and travel.
Foster has also committed to the University of Vermont for the 2027-28 season. Zidar is already drawing interest from NCAA programs for 2028-29.
“Young players need to see examples of what’s possible,” Auchenburg said. “It creates belief, and belief is one of the most powerful tools in player development.”
Building a program on a border
Lloydminster straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary, which creates a recruiting wrinkle most programs never face. The Steelers are an Alberta-based program, so their roster is drawn only from the Alberta side.
Auchenburg said that limits how far the program can pull talent compared to teams in bigger centres. Most Steelers players come up through Lloydminster’s own minor hockey system.
“We’re fortunate to have one of the strongest female hockey programs in Alberta,” Auchenburg said.
He said the players and families who stick with the program often travel long distances and take on billeting to make it work.
“We work hard to create a true second-family environment,” Auchenburg said. “Our players support each other, push each other, and take pride in representing our community.”
The Steelers’ recent graduates have gone on to post-secondary hockey across the country, including Skylar Heinrich at Mount Royal University, Jamie Hensch at the University of Manitoba, Sawyer Mackay at MacEwan University, Sydne Klebanosky at SAIT, Payton Oborowsky at Lakeland College, and Quinn Bona and Jayda MacLeod at Northwestern Polytechnic.
What comes next
Auchenburg said the program’s focus stays the same heading into next season: build players who are challenged, supported and ready for whatever comes after the Steelers.
“We’re proud of the foundation that’s been built with the Lloydminster Steelers program,” Auchenburg said. “We want future generations of athletes to have the same opportunities, and even more, as they pursue their goals.”
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