Third-year Bisons forward Mekaela Fisher's journey both athletically and academically at the university level is full of perseverance and resiliency. It tells the story of an athlete and student who hasn't had it easy, but at the same time has never given up in her pursuit of greatness.

A standout for the Central Plains Capitals of the Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League (MFMHL), Fisher — who had 22 goals in 2014-15 — along with fellow Bisons teammate Sheridan Oswald and current Saskatchewan Huskie Emily Upgang tore up the MFLM that year en route to the program's first league title and a berth in the Esso Cup.

The following season however, Fisher was dealt a fatal blow when her shoulder popped out in a regular season game against Pembina Valley.

Adding insult to injury was the fact that the next morning she got a call from Team Manitoba informing her that she'd made the roster for the National Women's Under-18 Championship.

With only a month to recover, Fisher busted her butt and was able to make the trip to Ontario with her team.

It was a memorable experience that ended in a silver medal following a 2-1 overtime loss to Ontario. Manitoba didn't surrender a single penalty in the game however, a feat that had only been accomplished once before in tournament history.

"I worked hard and three days before we left I got the clearance to go, which was good. I went and played, and it was pretty painful the whole time because it was only a month," Fisher says of the experience.

"I was just happy to be there and just to be able to do that was amazing."

The following year, tragedy struck for Fisher once more as she dislocated her shoulder again. This time the injury occurred in the pre-season of her rookie year with the Bisons in 2016-17, forcing her to redshirt.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she once again rehabbed the injury and put all of her focus on returning to the ice to play the game that she loves so much.

"I could push my shoulder out with two fingers. It was so loose that I don't even think it would've been worth trying to play with it," Fisher noted of the second injury.

"I ended up getting surgery in February of that year. I worked hard all summer and rehabbed it and was ready to go for the beginning of my second year."

The 2017-18 campaign saw Fisher record her first career regular season goal at the U SPORTS level against Regina while finishing with three points in 16 regular season contests on a loaded Bisons roster.

Unfortunately, just as things were looking up, the Warren, Manitoba native suffered another setback, this time in the final game of the Canada West semi-finals against Alberta.

"I can't remember which overtime it was, but I must've lost an edge and I hit the boards really hard and separated my AC joint in the other shoulder. I missed our championship series at home. That was really tough, but the girls did it and again, I was just happy to be there."

The semi-final contest — the second longest in Canada West history — ended with a Jordy Zacharias goal in the fourth overtime in a 1-0 thriller. Manitoba would then sweep the Saskatchewan Huskies, securing their trip to nationals as the top seed overall.

Facing the possibility of not being able to suit up for the trip, Fisher once again persevered and was able to get on the ice with her teammates as they secured Manitoba's first-ever national title. It was an unreal performance from a Bisons squad that allowed just one goal in three games while getting points from nine different players.

"We practiced when we got there and I remember being out there my first practice being so nervous because I just wanted to play," Fisher added.

"Things went good and it didn't even hurt, and [head coach] Jon [Rempel] gave me the opportunity to come back because he believed in me. That was a lot at that point in time. I was fresh and I was new, so for him to put that confidence in me, it gave me my own confidence and it helped with everything.

It made everything a bit easier. I actually think about it all the time. It was unreal, everything about it. Our team, the coaching staff, the experience, everything. It was like a dream the whole year."

Fisher had a clean year last season, putting up a career-high six regular season points as Manitoba made it back to nationals with a roster that featured a plethora of athletes from the prior season. Names such as Alanna Sharman, Erica Rieder, Alexandra Anderson, Karissa Kirkup, Jordy Zacharias, Lauryn Keen and Natasha Kostenko were just a handful of the players who made an immense difference.

The talented forward got off to a strong start in the pre-season this year as well, recording two goals against Balmoral Hall. A Sept. 15 exhibition tilt against Calgary put her back at square one though, as she once again injured her shoulder.

"That was just really frustrating. How many times can you hurt your body? That was pretty hard and I was really frustrated, because all I want to do is play hockey. I just wanted a good, clean year and I was just getting into things and learning how to play at this level and get things going."

Never one to quit the grind, Fisher yet again bounced back, returning to Manitoba's lineup in early November where she scored three goals in the month. Her relentlessness and willingness to get down and dirty is on display whenever she's on the ice, which is all the more impressive considering her shoulder history.

When asking her about her style of play however, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I just put it all out there, so that if it happens, I know that I did my best. I'm not afraid of it happening, and I think that's a big thing. It's happened, I'm used to it and I know what it's like. I think if I played scared then I wouldn't be doing my role and I wouldn't be giving everything I could for our team."

Fisher's determination is also visible in the classroom, where she's on pace to graduate with her agriculture diploma next year. It took her a couple of years to figure out what she wanted to do, but now the sky is the limit.

Fisher has worked in the agriculture industry for the last three summers, including her most recent experience with Bayer CropScience in the research field.

"I was more focused on just playing hockey when I came. I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do for school," she says.

"I was just wanting to play hockey and that's basically it. I took a bunch of different U1 courses, just to see okay, do I have interest in this type? I did U1 for two years was like, I need to do something. Going into agriculture, it's easier to do things, because I can see an end. I am working towards something."