CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced on Thursday the 42 players who have been invited to the National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp, July 23-30 at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary.

All of the athletes selected to take part in camp also participated in the National Women’s Under-18 Team strength and conditioning/skating camp in May in Calgary. Invitations to the May strength and conditioning/skating camp were based on evaluations done by Hockey Canada regional scouts during the 2008-09 season. These evaluations included players’ performances with their club teams, along with the 2008 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Napanee, Ont.

Hockey Canada will use the July camp to select 22 players for a three-game series against the United States’ Women’s Under-18 Select Team in Calgary, August 24, 25, and 27. Following the three-game series, Hockey Canada’s regional scouts, along with the Under-18 coaching staff, will evaluate players at the 2009 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and with their club teams, with the goal of selecting a team for the 2010 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, March 27 to in the United States.

The roster features seven players who won a silver medal at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Germany in January (Bestland, Campbell, Daoust, Fratkin, Lacquette, Rattray, Saulnier).

“The upcoming camp is the first step in our journey toward winning a world championship in 2010,” says Dan Church, head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with these great young athletes and I look forward a highly competitive camp in Calgary.”

The 42 players have been split into two teams – Red and White – and will take part in practices and intersquad games.

National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp – breakdown by province

British Columbia – 2 (Fratkin, Kozniuk)

Alberta – 1 (Styner)

Saskatchewan – 5 (Campbell, Brienna Gillanders, Baylee Gillanders, Habscheid, Nisbet)

Manitoba – 3 (Bestland, Dusik, Lacquette)

Ontario – 21 (Ambrose, Armstrong, Babstock, Cudmore, Doyle, Fulton, Garrow, Gifford, Howe, Imbrogno, Kelly, Kennedy, McParland, Mercer, Paniccia, Rattray, Steffes, Stoneburgh, Tarr, Terry, Wilkinson)

Quebec – 7 (Daoust, Davidson, Desjardins, Lambert, Ménard, Poudrier, Tutino)

Nova Scotia – 2 (MacDonald, Saulnier)

Newfoundland & Labrador – 1 (Davis)