OUA Women's Hockey All-Stars to take on National Team

HAMILTON, Ont. - Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's hockey all-stars will have one final opportunity this season to showcase their skills as they join forces to take on Canada's national under-18 hockey team.

Twenty student-athletes representing eight different schools will take to the ice to battle Team Canada, who are preparing for the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) world women's under-18 championship, taking place March 27 to April 3 in Chicago, Ill. The head coach of the under-18s is York Lions bench boss Dan Church.

The OUA all-stars will be led by Toronto Varsity Blues head coach Karen Hughes, a former national team coach and winner of more than 250 games in OUA with a record of 262-56-26-5. She will be joined on the bench by OUA coach of the year Matt Holmberg of the Queen's Gaels.

Team OUA will consist of 2009-10 all-stars, as well as eight additional players. The seven-time defending champion and national bronze medalist Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks will be represented by five players, including OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) player of the year Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.). She will be joined by teammates Stephanie Crarey (Newmarket, Ont.), OUA rookie of the year Candice Styles (Orangeville, Ont.), Andrea Ironside (Collingwood, Ont.) and Katherine Shirriff (Carrying Place, Ont.).

Hughes will be familiar with three OUA players representing the Varsity Blues, including Kelly Setter (Keswick, Ont.), Brenly Jorgenson (Kingston, Ont.) and Lindsay Hill (Ajax, Ont.). Holmberg will bring Gaels players Becky Conroy (Pembroke, Ont.), OUA points leader Elizabeth Kench (Gananoque, Ont.) and Alison Bagg (Kingston, Ont.). Church will be opposing three of his Lions, including Kelsey Webster (Duncan, B.C.), Michelle Daniels (Scarborough, Ont.) and Courtney Unruh (Fort St. John, B.C.).

The OUA finalist Guelph Gryphons will be represented by Jacky Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.), Dayna Kanis (Georgetown, Ont.) and Jessica Zerafa (Mississauga, Ont.). Rounding out the OUA squad is Brock Badgers goaltender Beth Clause (Hamilton, Ont.), Windsor Lancers forward and OUA scoring champion Manon Davis (Sudbury, Ont.), and Western Mustangs forward Ellie Seedhouse (Whitby, Ont.).

The all-star game will take place Tuesday, March 23 at the Mastercard Centre for Hockey Excellence in Toronto. Opening face-off is set for 7 p.m.

– OUA –

ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.