CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Sunday the 22 players that will play for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team in a three-game series against the United States’ Women’s Under-18 National Team from Thursday, Aug. 16 to Sunday, Aug. 19 in Blaine, Minn.

The 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders were chosen following Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp held Aug. 3-11 at Hockey Canada’s home rink, the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex, in Calgary.

Hockey Canada also announced Sunday that Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./Saskatoon, SFMAAAHL) will serve as captain of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, while Kristyn Capizzano (Oakville, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) and Halli Krzyzaniak (Neepawa, Man./Pursuit of Excellence, Midget AAA) have been named alternate captains for the upcoming three-game series against the U.S.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team features:

• Five players who won the gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18-Team at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Zlin, Czech Republic in January (Brykaliuk, Capizzano, Clark, Dubois, Krzyzaniak);
• One player who won the gold medal with Ontario Red at the 2011 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Saguenay, Que., last November (Capizzano);
• One player who participated in the 2012 IIHF High Performance Camp in Vierumäki, Finland, in July (Heffernan);
• One player who won the gold medal with the Pembina Valley Hawks at the 2012 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, in Charlottetown, P.E.I., in April (Carels).

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

• Ontario – six (Bunton, Capizzano, Korbs, Martindale, McKibbon, Sauvé)
• Alberta – four (Baumgardt, Heffernan, Murray, Smith)
• British Columbia – three (Newell, Miller, Ranahan)
• Québec – three (Bannon, Daoust, Dubois)
• Manitoba – three (Brykaliuk, Carels, Krzyzaniuk)
• Saskatchewan – two (Clark, Ottenbreit-Daunheimer)
• Prince Edward Island – one (Steele)

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team was assembled by Kalli Quinn, Hockey Canada’s director of female national teams; Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s head scout of women’s national team programs, and her team of scouts; along with head coach Jim Fetter (Waterloo, Ont./St. Cloud State University, WCHA), assistant coaches Rebecca Russell (Lethbridge, N.L./Okanagan Hockey Academy, Midget AAA) and Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA), as well as goaltending coach Joe Johnston (Lower Sackville, N.S./Dalhousie University, CIS).

“All 40 players who participated in our National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp should be very proud of their achievements,” Fetter said. “The competition on the ice in Calgary was intense, but we’re confident that the final 22 players chosen to wear the red and white on the ice next week in Blaine will represent Canada well both on and off the ice.”

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will play three games against the United States’ Women’s Under-18 National Team on Thursday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. CT and Sunday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. CT, at the National Sports Centre’s Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.

Following the series, Hockey Canada scouts, along with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team coaching staff, will continue to evaluate players with their club teams during the 2012-13 season, in preparation for selecting the Canadian contingent that will compete at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Vierumäki, Finland next January.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Please contact Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, for any Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team interview requests at (403) 826-4819 or [email protected].

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Program and Hockey Canada, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/NWT, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_teamcanada.