PREROV, Czech Republic – The puck is about to drop on the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in the Czech Republic, with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team playing its opening game at 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 31 at Zimni Stadion in Prerov. The tournament culminates with the gold medal game at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 7 at PSG Arena in Zlin.

In pre-tournament action Thursday at Zimni Stadion, the Canadians defeated the HC Zubr Prerov boys’ team 5-1, with Rebecca Kohler (St. Thomas, Ont./Bluewater, PWHL) finding the five-hole at 15:42 to tie it up at 1-1 going into first intermission. Following a back-and-forth but scoreless second frame, four different Canadian players contributed goals in the third, with Nicole Connery (Newmarket, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) capping it off with three minutes left in the game. Elaine Chuli (Waterford, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) and Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Lloydminster, AJHL) split duties between the posts.

Canada’s head coach Pierre Alain (Mirabel, Que./St-Jérôme, Collégial AA), along with assistant coaches Jim Fetter (Waterloo, Ont./St. Cloud State University, WCHA) and Carla MacLeod (Calgary, Alta./Mount Royal University, ACAC), have named Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont./Toronto, PWHL) captain and Meghan Dufault (Winnipeg, Man./Balmoral Hall, JWHL) and Cydney Roesler (Stittsville, Ont./Ottawa, PWHL) alternate captains for this year’s world championship.

Ambrose, Dufault and Roesler won a silver medal at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, along with fellow returnees Kohler, Cayley Mercer (Exeter, Ont./Bluewater, PWHL) and Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./Toronto, PWHL). Ambrose also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Chicago, Ill.

The 22-player roster chosen to represent Canada at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards. Kristyn Capizzano (Oakville, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL), Catherine Dubois (Quebec City, Que./Ontario Hockey Academy, U19), Abbey Frazer (Hudson, Que./John Abbott College, Collégial AA) and Sarah Lefort (Ormstown, Que./Stanstead College, NAPHA) are making their debuts in a Team Canada jersey.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, broken down by province:

Alberta – two (Emerance Maschmeyer*, Erika Sowchuk*)
British Columbia - one (Jordan Krause*)
Manitoba - four (Ashleigh Brykaliuk*, Meghan Dufault*, Halli Krzyzaniak*, Taylor Woods*)
Nova Scotia - one (Alexis Crossley*)
Ontario - nine (Erin Ambrose*, Kristyn Capizzano, Elaine Chuli,* Nicole Connery*, Rebecca Kohler*, Cayley Mercer*, Morgan Richardson*, Cydney Roesler*, Laura Stacey*)
Prince Edward Island – one (Shannon MacAulay*)
Quebec – three (Catherine Dubois, Abbey Frazer, Sarah Lefort)
Saskatchewan – one (Emily Clark*)

*played for Canada in a three-game series against the United States in August.

In preliminary round action, Canada also plays Germany at 1 p.m.  ET on Sunday, Jan. 1 and Finland at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 3, both at Zimni Stadion in Prerov. Quarter-finals are scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4 and semifinals are set for Friday, Jan. 6, all at PSG Arena in Zlin.

Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, is on site in the Czech Republic for the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship. Please contact her for any interview requests at +4407714183062 or [email protected].

Follow Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at www.twitter.com/HC_TeamCanada, become a fan of Hockey Canada on Facebook for updates from the Czech Republic at www.facebook.com/HockeyCanada.