Kindersley raised, hockey enthusiast, Kori Herner, traded in her skates for cleats as she tried her hand at tackle football. Herner, who’d never played any football before, joined the Saskatoon Valkyries as a defensive back for her rookie season.

The Saskatoon Valkyries are part of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL). The Valkyries went 8-0 and finished off the season with a 25-3 victory over the Regina Riot on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium.

24 year old Herner, was persuaded to play by the squad’s head coach, Pat Barry, and veteran safety, Rienna Rueve who she met during her teaching internship at Walter Murray Collegiate and she wasn’t disappointed.

“It was actually really good,” shared Herner, “They were going to Vegas and needed a player and I was like, Vegas-OK, I’ll come try it out and it was really fun.”

Hockey loving Herner played for the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA hockey team for two seasons from 2011 to 2013 and then went on to play five seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team from 2013 to 2018.

“They related a lot of things in hockey terms to me,” said Herner. “After the first practice, I was like I have no idea what they are talking about,” she admitted, “then the coach said I know you know hockey so think of it like this...”

Herner was surprised she didn’t get hurt being a rookie, “I did get just blown up one time and the coach said obviously she’s a hockey player, when I jumped up and kept going.”

Herner was part of the 2005 Huskies Female Spring team coaching staff and will be coaching the Saskatoon Stars in the fall. Herner says she has no plans to coach football, but if she could be convinced to play, then anything is possible.

It’s undetermined if we will see Herner as a Valkyrie again next season but she hopes to fit it into her busy schedule.