From Sheffield to Western Canada.

[Noodle Enjoyer 165]

                                                                                                                                                                    The Biography of Annie Oaks

Born in Sheffield  Great Britain at a young age she was introduced to Pro hockey, watching The Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League. She knew that Hockey was the sport for her, When she got her first stick she spent hours in the backyard shooting pucks at targets painted on the fence. Not getting much Ice time she would practice her skating on roller blades skating around the neighborhood stickhandling around any obstacles she could find. There not being much competition in Ice hockey at young ages she would join a foreign Exchange student program that would see her attending school in Vancouver at age 12 and would play hockey in the U13 hockey program. Her first season was about getting acclimated to a new country and the most competitive level of hockey she had played in her young life. She struggled to find consistency to start her hockey journey on Canadian soil but would begin to find her footing as the season went on. Her first season would see her score 11 goals with 9 assists in 32 games played. 
            
 

In the offseason she decided to spend most of her time working on her wrist shot because to her their was no greater joy than sniping one top corner, except for maybe the celly afterwards. Going into U14 she decided to employ a more shot first mentality and began to improve her wrist shot release.  This would cause her wrist shot to become a much more viable weapon when shooting from open spaces on the perimeter, and as such she would see her goal totals double that of her previous season to 22 making her one of the more prolific scorers but only adding 5 assists for 27 points in 32 games played. Her team would make the Playoffs this year but were eliminated after 5 games, with her stat line going 3 goals and 1 assist. She decided the next step was to improve her stick handling and deking so she could find more open space, and attain the ability to pull the puck closer into her body to change the angle of her shots while not losing power.

Now preparing for her third year playing hockey abroad in Canada she would continue to improve, and the fruits of her labor would be one of the deadliest releases in the league. Defenders caught playing the puck would be undressed and a her quick release would give goaltenders a difficult time getting square to her shots. She would put up career high totals of 37 goals and 11 assists for 48 points in 32 games played. Then another 7 goals and 5 assists in 9 playoff games. As a result of this stellar season and steady progress before it she would be invited to a training camp for the GB's international U18 team. She would impress her coaches and be told that at just 16 she could expect the call to suit up for her home country.
            
 

Over the next three years Annie would continue to impress both in Canada and on the world stage, never winning a medal but looking great on a weak Great Britain squad. She would continue to fine tune her game and always be looking for something to improve. She played hockey like if she stopped it would be the end of her. Then at age 19 she would be offered a chance to play pro hockey back in Great Britain. She would jump at this chance to play in front of friends and family in her home country. She would sign on with her hometown Sheffield Steelers and she would impress as she would go on to score 30 goals and put up 15 assists in 54 games as a rookie. This would earn her the Young British player of the year award. ( Yes that is a real award.) and she would help her team to the semi-finals of the playoffs but falling to the Belfast Giants. She would than begin preparing for her Age 20 season hoping to continue to improve on what was an already stellar first showing her first time at the pro level.
                
 

Annie would now go into her sophomore season and what would be her final season in the EIHL playing for the Sheffield Steelers, and it would be a season to remember. In her second year she would go on  to score a scintillating 44 goals and 27 assists in 54 games played this year. Annie would go on to lead her squad to a playoff finals appearance but would inevitably come up short. As she was getting into her offseason training preparing for her next season she would receive an offer from the GM of the Saskatoon Wild of the VHLM. Knowing how much Western Canada loves their hockey and the allure of an exciting new challenge Annie decided to accept the offer and up sticks and head to Saskatoon. This is the up to date telling of Annie's young hockey journey as she embarks on a new leg of this thrilling tale of pucks and twine as she prepares for her first season in the VHLM at the young age of 21. How will she fare in a new league with many up and coming stars of the hockey universe, Only time will tell but I wouldn't bet against her.
                    
 
 

[jacobcarson877 2,069]

This is awesome! Excited to see where your career takes you next!

[Banackock 7,642]

@Noodle Enjoyer MVP MVP MVP

[Knight 1,219]

I went on exchange to the University of Sheffield, great place for students!

[v.2 1,260]

WOOO ANNIE OAKS!!! Let's Go!