Team Alberta U18 Female Set For National Women’s U18 Championship

Team Alberta U18 Female begins game action on Wednesday at the 2012 National Women’s Under-18 Championship when they face Team Manitoba at 10:00am MST. The competition runs November 7-11 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

Prior to the tournament, Team Alberta staff announced the captains for the competition:

Captain - Eden Murray (Medicine Hat, AB)

Assistant Captains – Sydney Smith (Lethbridge, AB), Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, AB), Samantha Sutherland (Cochrane, AB), Taryn Baumgardt (Innisfail, AB)

The National Women’s U18 Championship brings together the top female talent from across Canada. The event is held every year except when the Canada Winter Games are held (every four years). Last year, Team Alberta finished seventh after failing to reach the semifinals due to a tiebreaker following the round robin.

Of the 20 athletes, 12 are returning from the team that played at the 2011 National Women’s U18 Championship in Saguenay, Quebec.

U18 Female is the final stage of the Team Alberta Female Program and one of the initial stages that Hockey Canada uses to help identify players for the National Program.

Team Alberta U18 Female finished seventh at the 2012 National Women’s U18 Championship after defeating Team Atlantic on Saturday morning.

Team Alberta finished the tournament with a 2-2 record posting 12 goals for and allowing 10 goals against. Player of the game honors throughout the tournament went to Samantha Sutherland, Hannah Olenyk, Taryn Baumgardt and Ashley Morin.

While the team was full of talent they struggled to bring their high level of intensity as individuals together as a cohesive unit. 

“To end Nationals on a positive note is definitely a good thing, naturally we would have liked that positive finish to have been one higher in the rankings, but we have a great group of girls who I know will learn and grow from this experience,” said Hockey Alberta’s Manager Hockey Development, Michael Kraichy.

Ontario Blue defeated Team Manitoba 4 - 2 to claim Gold and Silver, while Ontario Red defeated Team BC to claim the Bronze medal for the final results of this year’s National Championship.

Team Alberta will not get its chance at redemption until November 2013 when the U18 Nationals is hosted again, location still yet to be determined.

The National Women’s U18 Championship brings together the top female talent from across Canada. The event is held every year except when the Canada Winter Games are held (every four years).

U18 Female is the final stage of the Team Alberta Female Program and one of the initial stages that Hockey Canada uses to help identify players for the National Program.

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta Female Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Challenge, a U16 age level event, and progresses to the U18 age level. Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.

Team Alberta U16 Male won silver at the 2012 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup after falling to Team British Columbia by a score of 9-3 in the gold medal game on Sunday afternoon.

Team Alberta finished the tournament with a 2-1-1 record posting 17 goals for and allowing 14 goals against.

Team Alberta goaltender, Zachary Sawchenko (Calgary, AB) and forwards Braylon Shmyr (Calgary, AB) and Nick Merkley (Calgary, AB) were named tournament All-Stars.

The game marked the third time Team Alberta found itself in the gold medal game at this tournament. Team Alberta won gold in the inaugural event in 2009 in Blackfalds, Alberta and gold at last year’s event in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Team Saskatchewan beat Team Manitoba 2-1 to win the bronze medal earlier in the day.

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is a partnership between the four Western Provincial Hockey Branches - Hockey Alberta, BC Hockey, Hockey Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association - and the Western Hockey League (WHL). The event only occurs in the off years of the Canada Winter Games.

The event features the highest rated players in the Under 16 age category representing the four Western Provinces of Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is the final event in the first year of the Team Alberta Male program. Selected players then advance to the second year of the program (U17) where they compete for a roster spot on Team Pacific.

Former Team Alberta players include 2011 WHL Rookie of the Year, Matt Dumba, and NHL’ers Jordan Eberle, Jay Bouwmeester, Devan Dubnyk, Devin Setoguchi and Tyler Myers.

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta Female Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Challenge, a U16 age level event, and progresses to the U18 age level. Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.