Our youngest Shinty Spotlight player answering questions is Kinlochshiel Ladies’ Lexie Mackenzie.
The 13-year-old was delighted to take time out to describe her early experiences of the sport as she plays for the WCA Mowi North Division 2 club.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
My first shinty memory is playing for Lochcarron and winning the P1-3 competition at the Strathpeffer Sixes.
Who was senior debut against and what was the result?
This is my debut senior season and my first game was Kinlochshiel’s first fixture of the season away to Glengarry.
We won 5-0 and I got a hat-trick, and Beth Murphy and Eilidh MacInnes also scored. It was strange having my junior Lochcarron coach Laura Mackay in the Glengarry defence and she also coached Beth and Eilidh.
What is your best moment in shinty so far?
Reaching the Challenge Cup final and having the opportunity to play in such a big match.
We had the hardest route of the competition to get there, having to play Inverness A, Glenurquhart then Ardnamurchan B in the final. Winning it (4-0) was definitely my highlight.
And the worst?
After the high of beating Glengarry, the very next week we lost 5-0 to Glenurquhart. That was a wake-up call for all of us.
What is the worst injury you have suffered?
I have been lucky to never have any injuries in the senior women’s shinty, but I seem to get plenty of knocks in the under-14s. None of them have been too serious, apart from a bad injury to my foot against Beauly a couple of weeks ago.
Who is the joker in the team?
Cicely Dobson is definitely the joker in the team – she always seems to up to no good and is always up for a laugh!
What is your favourite away ground?
The best pitch I’ve played on this season is Strathglass. They had just cut the grass half an hour before the game and it was in perfect condition. But I would love to get a chance to play on The Dell at Kingussie.
Who is the rival player you would have loved in your team and why?
There are so many talented players in our division like Hazel Hunter, Laura Gallacher and Fiona Urqhuart and you would want any of them on your side. I’m so lucky with the players on our team and there are plenty I wouldn’t want to play against such as Maree Mackenzie, who is an amazing defender.
What is your favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?
My favourite goal is the one I scored against Glenurquhart in the league game in Reraig, which finished 3-3. It was a long-range shot from the left wing into the top of the net.
My favourite goal by a team-mate is Laura Macleod’s in the cup quarter-finals against Glenurquhart. It was a long-range strike, which took us back to 1-1.
It’s also been great to watch Lorna Macrae run at, and through, defences to score. This has given me the confidence to do the same.
Describe the sport in three words?
Fun, fast and exciting.
Conversation