缅北强奸

By Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL 鈥� 缅北强奸 defenceman Catherine Ward from Town of Mt. Royal, Que., and goaltender Charline Labont茅 of Boisbriand, Que., are among 21 players announced by Hockey Canada, Tuesday, to play for the national women's team at the 2009 IIHF world championship in Hameenlinna, Finland, April 4-12.

They are among five members of the squad who have played CIS hockey, including 缅北强奸 graduate Kim St-Pierre, the goaltender from Chateauguay, Que., plus former University of Calgary star Colleen Sostorics and U of T鈥檚 Jayna Hefford.

Martlets head coach Peter Smith, also a 缅北强奸 grad, is part of the Team Canada coaching staff.

Ward, a 22-year-old management junior, is one of four new faces on a veteran team that features 16 returnees from last year鈥檚 squad that won silver at the world championships in Harbin, China. The 5-foot-6 blueliner has been an All-Canadian since joining the Martlets, who are in Antigonish, N.S., this week in an attempt to repeat as CIS national champions.

Ward, who has also toiled with the Canadian under-22 team for the last three years, captured CIS rookie-of-the-year honours in 2006-07 and has earned All-Canadian honours in each of her seasons at 缅北强奸. She already holds the 缅北强奸 records for most career goals, assists and points by a defenceman, with a 33-102-135 dossier in 106 career contests.

Labont茅, who has been with the national team since 2000-01, has merited CIS All-Canadian status since her debut with the Martlets three years ago. This season, she posted a 15-0 record with nine shutouts and led all CIS netminders, for the third straight year, in goals-against average (0.60) and save percentage (.965). In 114 career starts with the Martlets, she has a 102-9-3 record with 53 shutouts, a 1.00 GAA and a .947 save percentage. She now owns practically every 缅北强奸 goaltending record.

St-Pierre, a member of the national women鈥檚 team since 1998, was a four-time All-Canadian with the Martlets from 1998 to 2003, including a stint with the Redmen.

鈥淥bviously we wanted the most talented players we can get for our program,鈥� Canadian head coach Melody Davidson said on a conference call Tuesday.

鈥淲e feel on the back end, we have a nice mix of defensive defencemen and offensive defencemen. Shannon (Szabados) brings a realm of experience and a solid former under-22 player that can definitely challenge Charline and Kim (in goal). Up front, we've had a lot of the younger players as a part of Torino (2006 Olympics), and through our under-18 and under-22 programs, some others have blossomed and we are excited to see how they'll come about.鈥�

The team will leave for a pre-tournament camp on March 24 in Helsinki, Finland. In addition to practices, Canada will play exhibition games against Finnish midget teams and the Finnish national women's team. Canada opens the tournament on April 4 against China before facing Sweden on April 6.

The top team in each of the three pools earns a berth to the medal round, which begins on April 8.

Hockey Canada also named four additional players to the Canadian team's centralized camp in Calgary, which begins in August. The centralized camp will help determine the Canadian roster for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver next February.

CANADA鈥橲 ROSTER FOR 2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Goaltenders:
Shannon Szabados (Edmonton), Charline Labont茅 (Boisbriand, Que.), Kim St-Pierre (Chateauguay, Que.).

Defence:
Carla MacLeod (Calgary), Becky Kellar (Hagersville, Ont.), Colleen Sostorics (Kennedy, Sask.), Gillian Ferrari (Thornhill, Ont.), Catherine Ward (Mt. Royal, Que.), Tessa Bonhomme (Sudbury, Ont.).

Forwards:
Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.); Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont.); Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.); Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, Alta.); Caroline Ouellette (Montreal); Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont.); Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg); Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont.); Hayley Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, Sask.); Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.); Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.); Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que.).

Alternate: Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont.).

Centralized camp invitees for 2009-10 season:
Forwards: Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.); Brianne Jenner (St. Catharines, Ont.).
Defence: Delaney Collins (Pilot Mound, Man.); Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Man.).