Victoria, BC – Canada’s National Women’s Team has arrived on Vancouver Island.

And now the work begins for Team Canada, which is after its second-straight gold medal at the IIHF World Women’s Championship. Canada will be in Victoria until Sunday, March 30th, when players and staff fly to Beijing, China, and then catch a connecting flight to Harbin.

The 2008 IIHF World Women’s Championship runs April 4-12 in Harbin.

Players and coaches hit the ice for two practices on Wednesday at Bear Mountain Arena. Canada will play two exhibition games during its time in Victoria, on Thursday against the South Island Thunderbirds Midget AAA boys team (7 p.m.) and on Saturday against the North Island Silvertips Midget AAA boys team (3 p.m.).