Forward Lauryn Keen put skates on for the first time when she was three years old. It was the start of one of the most accomplished amateur hockey careers in recent memory.

"My older brother played, so I wanted to start early," Keen says of her beginning years in the sport. "Basically, I think I played three years of initiation because I played with him."

The native of Manitou, MB has kept her tenacity intact ever since. She played boys hockey all the way up to midget, which helped with her grit and resiliency.

"I think it made me tougher," she says of playing against the opposite gender. "Obviously I'm not that big, but I think I'm tough enough to hold my own out there. It definitely taught me how to play physical and not be a wimp."

Keen moved on to play women's AAA midget while in high school with the Pembina Valley Hawks. It took her an hour to get to practice from Manitou, which she didn't mind.

"It definitely made working out and training a little bit harder, but I don't think it really affected me," she says casually. "It was kind of the lifestyle that I lived. It was always busy and you were always travelling, but I kind of enjoyed it that way."

Keen had a stellar career with the Hawks, including winning a national championship in 2012. It was around this time that she was recruited to play for the Bisons. While she received interest from other schools, she felt Manitoba was the best spot, committing in her grade 11 season.

"This was the biggest fit for me I think, just with agriculture and the hockey here. I definitely had other options, but in my mind, this is the one that made the most sense for me and I don't regret it."

Keen didn't miss a beat in her first season with the Herd in 2014-15, finishing third in Canada West rookie scoring with 18 points. She was also named to the conference's All-Rookie team at year's end.

The agriculture student hasn't slowed down since then. She's registered 60 points in the past three years, including 34 in 2016-17, which was good enough for the conference scoring title. She also became the first-ever Bison to be named the Canada West Women's Hockey Most Outstanding Player that season.  

"Obviously when I came in here, I was 115 pounds and it showed in the first year," she says. "So I think just gaining muscle in the gym was huge for me. And even though I played boys hockey, the physicality at the university level was a step up, so that was a big adjustment as well. I think focusing on those areas really helped me grow as a player."

Last season, Manitoba reached the pinnacle, winning the national championship for the first time. Yet again, Keen was instrumental in the historic feat. She potted the game-winner in the final against Western and was named the U SPORTS Championship MVP.

"That was an experience I'm sure I'll never forget," she says passionately.

"When I was in grade ten I went to nationals with the Hawks, so it wasn't my first experience being in that setting and playing at that level. I kind of knew what to expect and what the tournament was like. Obviously, this tournament was shorter than the one that I was in in grade ten, but I think being there once already and knowing what it takes to win really helped me. I didn't really get nervous because I'd been through the process before and had confidence in our team that we could do it."

Keen has picked up where she left off last year, recording four points so far on a line that features two familiar faces in fifth-year Natasha Kostenko and third-year Sheridan Oswald.

"We played most of last season together, so coming into this season and all three of us still being here, it's been huge," she says.

"I know the other lines are still trying to find chemistry and who works best with who, but I think it's really helping our line being able to stay together and having chemistry already from last year."