A Drumheller goalie has wrapped up his first season in the WHL, playing for the Tri-City Americans.
    The Mail reported in May 2017 that Talyn Boyko, son of Kelly and Sharla signed with the Americans. In September of last year, he attended their camp and had the opportunity to play the preseason. He made the squad and spent the season with the team.
    “It was a great first year, I learned a lot from the veteran guys, I had a great goalie partner I really learned a lot from,” Boyko told the Mail.
    While just turning 16, he played back up most of the year, but still managed time in 10 games and one playoff game.
    “I didn’t get in as much time as I would have liked, but I think the games that I got in I really took advantage of them,” he said.  
    Prior to playing for the Americans, he was studying and playing at the Pursuit of Excellence Academy in Kelowna.
    Coincidentally he made his first start on October 13  playing the Kelowna Rockets. He stopped 24 shots on his way to his win, as the Americans were victorious 5-4. This was just a couple days shy of his birthday.  
    “It was a great experience, it was my first regular season game and the guys supported me the whole way through, and then to get a win in my first game,” he said.
    He is enjoying his experience and more importantly developing as a strong goalie with great competition.
    “Playing at this level is the best thing for me. There is nothing like playing in front of thousands of people, even if you are just warming up,” said Boyko. “For a goalie, it is so mental, you have to learn how to be there mentally before you can succeed there mentally. You have to go through some failure before you can succeed. Once you go through hardship at that level, it is a lot easier to succeed and I think to practice with those guys every day helps, they are such good hockey players and being around that group bettered me more than being anywhere else.”
    The Tri-City Americans season wrapped up on  March 30 and Talyn had some time to be home, but will be back on the ice in August.
    “I hope to play a bigger role and continue to try and better my game,” he said.

There will be a new leadership team at Greentree School come the next school year.
     Golden Hills School Division announced that Shelley Friesen has been appointed to the position of Principal, and Adam Pirie will take on the appointment of Associate Principal commencing in the 2019-2020 school year.
    Friesen holds a BGS from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Education Degree in Leadership Information Technology from the University of Lethbridge.
    In 2014 she was hired as an Instructional Coach in Golden Hills where she worked with teachers in the areas of planning, instruction, assessment, critical thinking, information technology, classroom management and other areas of need.
    Her varied teaching experience, along with the knowledge and skills she has developed as an Instructional Coach and as a school administrator, with her most recent placement as Associate Principal at Greentree Elementary School, will serve her well in her new administrative role.
    Pirie holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Alberta and a Professional Master of Education from Queen’s University.
    Adam brought a variety of teaching experiences with him from Ontario and the United Kingdom when he began as a teacher in Golden Hills School Division.     
    In August of 2018, he moved into the role of an Instructional Coach where he currently works with teachers in the areas of planning, instruction, assessment, critical thinking, information technology, classroom management and other areas of need.
    His diverse teaching roles in Canada and abroad will serve him well in his new administrative role.