HUNTSVILLE, ONT. – Team Ontario Red will get a chance to defend their gold medal against Manitoba after both teams posted semifinal wins Saturday night at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship at the Canada Summit Centre in Huntsville, Ont.

Ontario Red advanced with a 3-0 shutout of Team British Columbia, while Manitoba advanced to just their second gold medal final after a 3-1 win over Ontario Blue. In eight of the last nine years Team Ontario Red has won the national championship, while Manitoba’s best finish was silver in 2012 to go along with three bronze medals (2011, 2008, and 2007). The 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship will air at 4:30 p.m. ET on TSN 3 and RDS (tape delayed on Nov. 9), the official broadcasters for Hockey Canada.

In the placement games on Saturday, Saskatchewan posted a 4-0 shutout of Alberta to finish in seventh place, while Team Atlantic claimed fifth place with a 3-1 win over Quebec. Ontario Blue and B.C. will face off for the bronze medal game at 12:30 p.m. ET with the game being aired live on FASTHockey webcast at
www.hockeycanada.ca/nwu18c.

Single game tickets are available onsite at the Canada Summit Centre for $20 each to the bronze and gold medal games.

The 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship brings together eight provincial and regional teams made up of the best female hockey players born in 1998 or later. The tournament serves as an important step for Hockey Canada scouts who will evaluate candidates for those who will put on the maple leaf and represent Canada at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship from January 8-15 in St. Catherine’s, Ont.

A number of Canadian women’s hockey stars have competed at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship, including 14 who helped Canada’s National Women’s Team win the gold medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia:

• Meghan Agosta-Marciano (Jan. 2005 – Ontario Red)
• Gillian Apps (2001 – Ontario Red)
• Mélodie Daoust (2007, 2008, 2009 – Quebec)
• Laura Fortino (2007, 2008 – Ontario Red)
• Haley Irwin (Jan. 2005 – Ontario Red)
• Brianne Jenner (Nov. 2005 – Ontario Blue; 2007, 2008 – Ontario Red)
• Rebecca Johnston (Nov. 2005 – Ontario Red)
• Jocelyne Larocque (Jan. 2005, Nov. 2005 – Manitoba)
• Marie-Philip Poulin (Nov. 2005, 2007, 2008 – Quebec)
• Lauriane Rougeau (Nov. 2005, 2007 – Quebec)
• Natalie Spooner (Nov. 2005, 2007 – Ontario Red)
• Jennifer Wakefield (Jan. 2005, Nov. 2005 – Ontario Red)
• Catherine Ward (Jan. 2005 – Quebec)
• Tara Watchorn (2007 – Ontario Red)

For more information on the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/nwu18c and follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/womensu18 and www.twitter.com/hc_nwu18.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Esther Madziya, Hockey Canada’s media relations coordinator is onsite in Huntsville for the National Women’s U18 Championships. For all interview requests, please contact her via email at [email protected] or by phone at (403) 519-5754.