"I love stopping pucks, being the last line of defence," the Grade 10 Holy Trinity student said. "Making a huge save, it's an amazing feeling."

Paniccia will now get that chance against the best players in the country after being named to the Ontario Blue team for the National Women's Under-18 Hockey Championship, which begins Wednesday in Kitchener.

She will be joined by Oakville's Kate Wheeler as well as three other players with local ties -- Appleby College's Brianne Jenner and Brittany Haverstock and Geneva Kilman of the Oakville Ice.

Paniccia played her first two years of tyke with the Oakville Hornets as a forward before deciding to try playing net. She hasn't looked back since. Last year she made the jump from bantam to junior in the Provincial Women's Hockey League with the Oakville Ice and this year joined the Toronto Aeros. She has put up great numbers with the Aeros, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

"I'm really looking forward to it," she said of the national tournament. "It's an amazing opportunity. I can see other goalies and see how I compare. I just want to go in with a positive attitude and do the best that I can."

Paniccia said her junior coaches, Darryl Giancola with the Aeros and Bill Metcalfe with the Ice, have played a big part in her development.

At 14, Paniccia will be the second youngest player on the two Ontario teams. That's where having her Aeros teammate, Wheeler, on the team will be helpful. Wheeler played in the tournament two years ago when it was held in British Columbia and knows that will put more responsibility on her shoulders this time around.

"They need someone with experience so I think I'll be looked at as one of the leaders this time," the 17-year-old said. "I'll be able to help out the other girls. You have to leave everything on the ice."

Wheeler, like Paniccia, made the move to the Aeros after spending her entire playing career in Oakville, first with the Hornets then with the Ice. The swift-skating forward has three goals and three assists in seven games with the Aeros.

The Grade 12 student at Oakville Trafalgar said although the team has played a few exhibition games together, it can still be difficult coming together as a team for a one-week tournament. However, she said that will be offset by the talent level.

"There are a lot of really good players so it will be exciting."

Ontario Blue will play in a division with Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and Quebec. Wheeler said she expects Quebec, the silver medalist in 2005, to be their biggest rival for a spot in the playoff round.

One of Wheeler and Paniccia's opponents on the Atlantic team will be Haverstock. The Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia native is in her first season at Appleby College after two years at the Warner Academy in Alberta. The Grade 12 student is a strong skater and will be a key part of the Atlantic blueline corps.

Haverstock's Appleby College teammate, Jenner, will suit up for the Ontario Red team. The 16-year-old St. Catharines native began her hockey career at Oakville's Cutting Edge Hockey Academy when she was four. The Grade 11 student is an outstanding playmaker.

Both Jenner and Haverstock, who play for the Stoney Creek Sabres in the PWHL, scored their first international goals in helping Canada's under-18 team sweep a three-game series against the U.S. in August. Jenner had a goal and an assist in one game to earn player-of the game honours.

Geneva Kilman of the Oakville Ice is the other player with local ties playing in the tournament. Kilman will play defence for the Ontario Red team.

The 17-year-old Toronto native has received several offers from Division I colleges in the U.S. for next season.