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CANADA鈥橲 NATIONAL WOMEN鈥橲 UNDER-22
TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR 2009 MLP CUP

CALGARY, AB 鈥� All-Canadian rearguard Catherine Ward, from Town of Mount Royal, Que., and CIS rookie of the year forward Ann-Sophie Bettez of Sept-Iles, Que., both members of the 9I制作厂免费 Martlets, are heading to Germany with the Canadian women鈥檚 under-22 hockey team.

Hockey Canada announced on Monday the 22 players who will comprise Canada鈥檚 National Women鈥檚 Under-22 Team at the 2009 MLP Cup (formerly the Air Canada Cup), January 2-6, 2009 in Ravensburg, Germany. The team will depart for Germany on December 27 as it looks for a seventh-consecutive title at the event.

This will be the third tour of duty with the U-22 squad for Ward, while Bettez is one of five players who will be representing Canada for the first time.

The U-22 roster is composed of 18 players from NCAA institutions, three from Canadian Interuniversity Sport and one from Quebec CEGEP AA (Lauriane Rougeau from Beaconsfield, Que.and a product of Coll猫ge St. Jer么me).

The only other CIS player named was goaltender Liz Knox of the Laurier Golden Hawks.

Canada will play a pair of games against Switzerland鈥檚 national women鈥檚 team, on December 29 and December 31, prior to traveling to Ravensburg for the 2009 MLP Cup.

Canada鈥檚 roster includes 21 of the 22 players who dressed for Canada in a three-game series against the United States鈥� Women鈥檚 Under-22 Select Team in Pierrefonds, QC in August. Canada won the final two games of the series after losing the opener in a shootout.

Mallory Deluce (London, ON/University of Wisconsin, WCHA) has been added to the roster for the 2009 MLP Cup. Deluce played for Canada鈥檚 National Women鈥檚 Under-22 Team at the 2008 Air Canada Cup, recording one goal and two assists in four games as Canada won the tournament for the sixth year in a row.

鈥淲e are very excited about the roster that we have assembled for this event,鈥� said Sarah Howald, head coach of Canada鈥檚 National Women鈥檚 Under-22 Team. 鈥淲e had great success in Pierrefonds, and look forward to continuing the development of these players in Germany.鈥�

Canada鈥檚 roster includes 11 players who won gold at the 2008 Air Canada Cup (Agosta, Birchard, Blais, Fridfinnson, Irwin, Johnston, Larocque, Smith, Thibault, Wakefield, Ward) and four players who won silver with Canada鈥檚 National Women鈥檚 Under-18 Team at the 2008 IIHF World Women鈥檚 Under-18 Championship (Bram, Haverstock, Rougeau, Spooner). In addition, six players (Agosta, Johnston, Larocque, Spooner, Wakefield, Ward) won a silver medal with Canada鈥檚 National Women鈥檚 Team at the 2008 4 Nations Cup in Lake Placid, NY in early November.

Canada is the six-time defending champion at the MLP Cup, having won every year since the tournament鈥檚 inception in 2003, losing only once in 20 games. Canada will play in Group A with Finland and Russia, while Germany, Sweden and Switzerland will make up Pool B.

COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

canadianhockey.ca/index.php/ci_id/58760/la_id/1.htm