Adrianne Dewhurst of Teslin, Sierra Oakley of Haines Junction and Lynsey Keaton of Whitehorse have been selected to represent the Yukon as part of Team B.C. in the upcoming National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAC).

For Oakley it will be her second year in the tournament after playing this season for the female Mustangs and being an integral member of the junior female Arctic Winter Games (AWG) team.

"I'm looking forward to playing in the NAC again,” said the 14-year-old. "Last year it was a lot of fun, I met a lot of new girls and the coach was really nice.”

The left-winger has been playing hockey since she was five-years-old when she

said her dad put her on skates and pushed her onto the ice.

She's been in love with the sport ever since.

After playing in the Haines Junction house league Oakley decided to try out for the 2010 AWG team.

After earning a spot on the roster and winning the silver medal, she went one step further the next year and suited up on the Canada Winter Games team.

This year, she played with many of the same athletes at the AWG.

"The Games is usually the same team so it was nice to play with the same girls again,” she said.

"It was fun because most of the girls are older now and I've played with them before but for many of them it was their last year.”

Oakley said she tries to model her game after former teammate Chantelle Rivest who she met at the 2010 AWG.

"She was really nice and I thought she was a really good player,” she said. "She was number 15 and then I took that number for this year's Arctic's and the Canada Games and I've just been keeping in touch with her.

"She's a really good player and I like to play with her a lot.”

Oakley, who hopes to play university hockey, said she's expecting the team do well

at this year's NAC.

"I think it will be a really good turn-out this year and I think the team will be strong.”

For Dewhurst, it will be her first year playing in the tournament despite making the squad last season.

Dewhurst opted to play in the B.C. Cup in Salmon Arm last year instead, which took place on the same weekend.

Dewhurst, who also plays left wing, has been playing hockey since she was seven-years-old.

"It's been a pretty good year,” said the sixteen-year-old. "I broke a couple of sticks but other than that it's been good.”

Dewhurst has played alongside Oakley and Keaton at the Arctic Winter Games and said she's glad to be competing with some players she already knows.

"We've been playing together for years and we're pretty good together,” she said.

"I'm really glad I'm going there (to the NAC) with a couple of people I know and I've played with before. It can be hard getting to know how to play with new teammates.”

Dewhurst said she brings a positive spirit to the team and a love for the game.

"I just love playing hockey and meeting people and seeing where it takes you. I've got to make a lot of trips to tournaments and travel around by playing,” she said.

"I'm pretty pumped about it.”

Eight teams from across the country will be competing in the six-day tournament that will run from May 6 to 12 in Saskatoon.