Pontiac woman sings Ukrainian national anthem at Sens game

Pontiac woman sings Ukrainian national anthem at Sens game

Prior to the Ottawa Senators facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday evening (March 18), a young Pontiac woman had the chance to sing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Earlier this month, Sens owner Eugene Melnyk (whose parents were both born in Ukraine) announced that they would be playing the country’s national anthem prior to every home game. Pontiac resident Katrina Soroka said that her aunt let her know that they were looking for people to perform the song, and she sent in an audition tape.

Soroka explained that she’s been steeped in the Ukrainian language and traditions growing up through her parents and extended family.

Soroka said that it was the largest crowd that she’d ever performed in front of and said that the feedback she got was overwhelmingly positive. She explained that the costume that she chose is a traditional Ukrainian design, specifically from the western portion of the country.

The full interview with Soroka is available here.