CALGARY, AB – Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team is in Ravensburg, Germany, looking to defend its title for the fifth consecutive year at the European Air Canada Cup. Canada has won this tournament all five years it has taken part, winning 15 of 16 games.

The team will take to the ice in Ravensburg tomorrow, January 3rd, to face Russia, and take on the host Germans on Friday in their second and final round-robin contest. The semi-finals are set for Saturday, with the gold medal game scheduled for Sunday night.

Canada’s roster includes 19 of the 22 players that took part in a three-game series with the USA’s Women’s Under-22 Select Team in Lake Placid, NY in August. Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team won all three games in the series, the first time since the two teams began playing each other in 1999 that Canada had swept the Americans.

The Canadians will be led in goal by netminders Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, AB/Grant MacEwan College, ACAC) and Laura Hosier (Sharon, ON/Mercyhurst College, CHA), both of whom were between the pipes when Canada won the gold medal at this event in January 2007. The tandem of Szabados and Hosier allowed just one goal in 240 minutes of play as the Canadians outscored their opposition 32-1.

Szabados, Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON/Mercyhurst College, CHA), Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, ON/Cornell University, ECAC), Valerie Chouinard (Matane, QC/Mercyhurst College, CHA) and Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) were all members of Canada’s gold medal-winning National Women’s Team at the 4 Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden in November.

The coaching staff will remain the same as it was for the series against the USA – head coach Dan Church (Toronto, ON/York University, CIS) will be joined behind the bench by assistants Sarah Howald (Regina, SK/University of Regina, CIS) and Stephanie White (Toronto, ON/Mississauga Chiefs, CWHL).

Canada, Germany and Russia will comprise Pool B, while Switzerland, Sweden and Finland will compete in Pool A.

GAME SCHEDULE – all games in Ravensburg, Germany
Canada vs. Russia Thursday, January 3rd 10:00 a.m. ET
Canada vs. Germany Friday, January 4th 2:00 p.m. ET
Semi-Finals Saturday, January 5th 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. ET
Bronze Medal Game Sunday, January 6th 10:00 a.m. ET
Gold Medal Game Sunday, January 6th 2:00 p.m. ET