A Winmalee teenager's ice hockey career has taken a sharp turn upwards.
Imogene Alexander has been offered a scholarship to attend the Hockey Training Institute in Ontario, Canada, from September 1.
She was spotted while competing for Australia in Spain in January.
The 17-year-old will take up a defensive position in the under 20s women's team in the top female league for her age group.
"They looked at her because she's so new to hockey. She has a bit of raw talent and a lot of potential to develop and with her size and being so tall [180cm] she stood out on ice. That's why they looked at developing her over the next 12 months," said Imogene's mum Kate Alexander.
Imogene will have her work cut out of her, attending a local high school, then training before and after school, with games of a weekend.
She recently had a taste of what life in Canada will soon be like, attending a summer training camp run by the institute.
"Training was quite intense," Imogene said. The only free time she had was after 9pm each day; the remainder of the day was dedicated to ice hockey.
"It was good playing experience; I haven't played that level of hockey before," the Winmalee High student said.
"The girls say the first month is the hardest."
Imogene is looking forward to the adventure and the further opportunities it could bring.
"It will be interesting to experience winter and the squall over there and the level of hockey," she said.
Imogene only took up the sport 2.5 years ago, becoming interested after watching an Australian men's league game in Penrith.
