ST. ALBERT, Alta. – The stage is set at the 2011 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, for Saturday’s gold medal game between the Edmonton Thunder (Pacific) and Notre Dame Hounds (West).

Both teams earned berths into the final by coming out on top in semifinal action Friday. In the first semifinal, Notre Dame defeated the Toronto Aeros 5-1, while the second semifinal saw Edmonton beat the Lac St-Louis Kodiaks (Québec) 4-1.

Saturday’s gold medal game will be a rematch of the opening day at the 2011 Esso Cup, when Edmonton edged Notre Dame 3-2 in a shootout, with Heather Kashman (Edmonton, Alta.) scoring the game-winning goal in the second round.

The Thunder and Hounds are the only teams in Esso Cup history to qualify for the national championship more than once, with Edmonton making its third appearance this year and Notre Dame competing for a second straight year. Notre Dame settled for silver at the 2010 Esso Cup, while Edmonton took the bronze medal last year.

The two teams face off Saturday, April 23 for Esso Cup gold, with the puck dropping at 6 p.m. MT in the Performance Arena at Servus Place and the game airing live on Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster TSN2. The Lac St-Louis Kodiaks and Toronto Aeros will compete for the bronze medal at 12 p.m. MT, a game that will be available live online through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

The 2011 Esso Cup marks the third annual National Female Midget Championship, with the Westman Wildcats (West) winning the inaugural event in Calgary, Alta., in 2009 and the Thunder Bay Queens claiming gold in Regina, Sask., in 2010.

The 2011 Esso Cup is helping the City of St. Albert celebrate its 150th anniversary by bringing together the best female Midget hockey teams from across the country.

Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, is on site for the 2011 Esso Cup in St. Albert and can be reached at 403-826-4819 or [email protected] for any interview requests.