By Laura Lennie, News Staff

A lot of pressure comes with being a goaltender.

Stoney Creek Junior Sabres netminder Elaine Chuli wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I enjoy the pressure,” said the 17-year-old. “You have to be very strong mentally to play this position, as you’re heavily relied on to make saves and then key saves to keep your team in the game. Goaltenders can be the hero of the game and can just as easily be on the other end.”

Chuli got her first taste of the front-line pressure while playing for the Waterford Wildcats.

She also played with the Brantford 99ers, Stoney Creek Bantam AA Sabres and Midget AA Sabres, before joining the Junior Sabres last season.

Chuli said she loved watching hockey on television with her dad while growing up.

“I always used to draw pictures of former National Hockey League goaltender Curtis Joseph,” she said. “When I asked my parents if I could play hockey, they were a bit hesitant, but the next season they signed me up. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Chuli said there’s no better feeling than being on the ice.

Every practice and game is a highlight, she added.

“I will never forget playing in the gold medal game at the provincials with the Midget AA Sabres when I was in Grade 10,” she said. “We lost 1-0 in overtime against the Thunder Bay Queens, but it was still an amazing experience. I always look forward to hitting the ice.”

Chuli was invited to attend Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp last month in Rockland, Ont., where she earned a spot on the team’s roster for the Canada-U.S. three-game summer series Aug. 18 to Aug. 21 in Rockland.

Canada found itself on the end of a 3-2 loss in game one, before Chuli held down the fort in game two, helping her team bounce back with a 3-2 win.

She split goaltending duties in game three, which Canada also won 6-4.

“I was very happy with how I played. I had great focus, good rebound control, good depth and I just went out there and stopped the puck,” said Chuli, adding she also snagged the game puck for her first International Ice Hockey Federation win. “I worked very hard the last few seasons with former NHL goaltender Mike Minard on and off the ice. I went out there and trusted my ability.”

Chuli said winning the series felt “amazing.”

“It was great to see the excitement of the girls returning from last year that had never beat the U.S. Everyone was jumping around and screaming so loud in the dressing room and during cool down,” she said. “It was a dream come true and I felt very special to wear that Canada team jersey and play for my country. When I was young, it felt like it was a dream so big and I wondered some days if I would ever achieve it; I couldn’t be more happy.”

Sabres head coach Stacey Marnoch called Chuli a leader both on and off the ice.

Her work ethic sets her apart, she added.

“She worked really hard to make the team and then made the most of the opportunity when she was called upon. There is a lot of pressure to win and she handled it beautifully,” Marnoch said. “Elaine has all of the elements to take her career as far as she so chooses. She is smart, driven, dedicated, coachable and willing to sacrifice some of the normal activities of a teenager to get what she wants.”

Chuli is entering her final season with the Sabres, but her pressure in the net is far from over.

Next year, she will play for the University of Connecticut, having received a full scholarship.

“Right now, I’m focused on having a great season with the Sabres,” Chuli said. “I’m also focused on keeping my spot on the national women’s under-18 team and hope to join the team at the world championships in January in the Czech Republic. My biggest hope, though, would be to play for my country one day at the Olympics.”