By Perry Denure /
This is an exciting time for U-18 female players across the country.
Canada recently named its first-ever summer National Womens U-18 Team for a three-game series against the U.S. in Ottawa, Ont. from Aug. 23 to 26.
The squad will also play in the first World Championship for U-18 women January 7 to 13, 2008 and will be held in a Canadian city to be announced.
The tournament features teams from the U.S., Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and the Czech Republic.
Julie Healy, Hockey Canada’s Director of Female Hockey, says the IIHF World Women’s U-18 Championship is a great opportunity for all participating nations to futher grow their female programs.
She also adds we will see increases in the number of young girls playing hockey in countries all over the world.
The National U-18 Program follows the Regional U-18 Program, which has been in place since 2001.
This is now the first level of national teams for women, followed by U-22 and the national women’s team, which can only strengthen the development of these young women and should prove to only enhance Canada’s domination on the world hockey scene.
The National Women’s U-18 program is a key component of the Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, along with U-22, to identify players for Canada’s National Women’s Team.
The team is coached and managed by gold-medal winning coach Melody Davidson of Oyen, AB. The two assistant coaches for the 2007/08 season are Jim Fetter of Waterloo, On. (coach of Wayne State U.) and another gold-medal winner, Danielle Goyette of St.-Nazaire, QC (coach of U. of Calgary).
The team is made of players from six provinces – three from B.C., two from Saskatchewan, five from Manitoba, six from Ontario, four from Quebec, and two from Nova Scotia – although three played the 2006/07 season outside Alberta for Warner Hockey School.
The youngest, at 15, is from B.C.
Other than the three players from Warner, Beaconsfield, Que. provides the greatest single city to contribute players, also with three.
The six players from Ontario all competed for the gold medal winning Team
Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
Hillary Pattenden (Surrey, B.C.) and Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man.) will share the goaltending duties.
They’ll be protected by blueliners Rayna Cruickshank (Cumberland, B.C.), Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, Ont.), Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que.), Brittany Haverstock (Hammonds Plains, N.S.), Katelyn Ptolemy (Dinsmore, Sask.), Rebecca Hewett (Oak Bluff, Man.) and Kaleigh Fratkin (Burnaby, B.C.).
Taking care of the offensive load on the forawrd lines are Leslie Oles (Beaconsfield, Queb.), Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, Man.), Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Queb.), Brianne Jenner (St. Catherines, Ont.), Alyssa Wiebe (Saskatoon, Sask.), Carolyne Prevost (Sarnia, Ont.), Bailey Bram (Ste.-Anne, Man.), Chelsea Karpenko (Winnipeg, Man.), Laura McIntosh (Waterloo, Ont.), Camille Dumais (Beaconsfield, Queb.), Catherine White (Brampton, Ont.), Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont.) and Jessica Wong (Beddeck, N.S.).
Selection was made following a U-19 national conditioning camp which ran May 11 to 13, and a U-19 evaluation camp which ran July 22 to 29, both in Calgary.
Some of the players from the U-19 camp helped fill out the roster of the U-22 national team which also played a three-game series versus the U.S. Aug. 23 to 26.
Hockey Canada’s head scout for National Women’s teams, Wally Kozak of Wading, Sask., was involved in the team selection with Davidson and based their player decisions on those camps, as well as their performance at the Canada Winter Games and with their club teams during the 2006/07 season.
Both goaltenders chosen also took part in a National Women’s Program goaltending camp June 14 to 17 in Calgary.
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