2017 Winter Universiade: Canadian women's hockey team announced

October 7, 2016

Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Friday the women's hockey roster for the 2017 Winter Universiade, set for Jan. 29 - Feb. 8 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Almaty 2017 Website: http://almaty2017.com/

Team Canada Website: http://en.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2017/index

Canada will be looking to reclaim the gold medal, after falling to Russia 3-0 in the 2015 championship game in Granada, Spain. The loss marked the first time the Canadians hadn't won the event since women's hockey's debut at the FISU Games in Harbin, China in 2009.

The 22-player roster features 20 members who skated for Team CIS at Hockey Canada's Women's Development Camp in August. Eight players come from the Canada West conference, along with seven from OUA, five from the RSEQ and two from AUS. The defending national champion Montreal Carabins lead the way with four selections.

Canada will compete in Group A alongside China, Great Britain and host Kazakhstan. Group B consists of the defending champion Russia, Japan and the United States.

The lone returnee from the 2015 Universiade squad, former Western defenceman Katelyn Gosling headlines the roster. Gosling, a CIS champion with the Mustangs two seasons ago, took part in Hockey Canada's Fall Festival with the women's national team after being drafted over the summer by the Canadian Women's Hockey League's (CWHL) Calgary Inferno.

Adding to the leadership core is Guelph goaltender Valerie Lamenta, the reigning CIS player of the year. Lamenta will share the crease with Waterloo's Stephanie Sluys

On the blueline, Gosling is joined by Mustangs teammate Brianna Lazzolino, Guelph's Katherine Bailey, Montreal's Maude Laramée, Regina's Alexis Larson, UBC's Kelly Murray, and Manitoba's Erica Rieder.

Up front, Canada will be led by Montreal's Alexandra Labelle, who scored a hat-trick in the CIS championship game last spring. The offence also includes fellow Carabins Catherine Dubois and Jessica Cormier, St. Thomas' Kelty Apperson, Ottawa's Melodie Bouchard, Regina's Kylie Gavelin and Jaycee Magwood, Guelph's Kelly Gribbons, Waterloo's Rachel Marriott, StFX's Daley Oddy, Manitoba's Alanna Sharman, Alberta's Alex Poznikoff, and Saskatchewan's Kaitlin Willoughby.

Behind the bench, University of Guelph head coach Rachel Flanagan, who made the selections following development camp, will be accompanied by team leader and video coach Rick Traugott, assistant coaches Kelly Paton (Western) and Shaun Reagan (Waterloo), equipment manager Jean Huynh (McGill), and therapist Natalie Paladino (Windsor).

"We are very excited about the team that has been selected to compete at this event," said Flanagan. "We have a character group of athletes that are skilled, fast and competitive and have our sights set on reclaiming the women's hockey gold in Kazakhstan."

TEAM CANADA ROSTER

Goaltenders

Name	University	Eligibility	Hometown	Academics
Valerie Lamenta	Guelph	3	Montreal, Que.	Mechanical Engineering
Stephanie Sluys	Waterloo	3	Clinton, Ont.	Kinesiology

Defence

Name	University	Eligibility	Hometown	Academics
Katherine Bailey	Guelph	3	Lucan, Ont.	Child, Youth & Family
Katelyn Gosling	Western	N/A	London, Ont	Social Science
Brianna Iazzolino	Western	5	Thunder Bay, Ont.	Nursing
Maude Laramée	Montreal	4	Gatineau, Que.	Arts & Sciences
Alexis Larson	Regina	5	Weyburn, Sask.	Nursing
Kelly Murray	UBC	5	Medicine Hat, Alta.	Arts
Erica Rieder	Manitoba	3	Regina, Sask.	Arts

Forwards

Name	University	Eligibility	Hometown	Academics
Kelty Apperson	St. Thomas	5	New Hamburg, Ont.	Arts
Melodie Bouchard	Ottawa	2	Sept-Iles, Que.	Education
Jessica Cormier	Montreal	3	Cap-aux-Meules, Que.	Administration
Catherine Dubois	Montreal	2	Charlesbourg, Que.	Arts & Science
Kylie Gavelin	Regina	5	Mankota, Sask.	Arts
Kelly Gribbons	Guelph	4	Port Elgin, Ont.	Engineering Systems & Computing
Alexandra Labelle	Montreal	2	Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que	Anthropology
Jaycee Magwood	Regina	2	Killarney, Man.	Kinesiology & Health
Rachel Marriott	Waterloo	4	Waterloo, Ont.	Recreation & Leisure
Daley Oddy	StFX	4	Cranbrook, B.C.	Human Kinetics
Alex Poznikoff	Alberta	2	Edmonton, Alta.	Physical Education
Alanna Sharman	Manitoba	3	Winnipeg, Man.	Business
Kaitlin Willoughby	Saskatchewan	4	Prince Albert, Sask.	Arts & Science

Team Leader/Video Coach: Rick Traugott

Head Coach: Rachel Flanagan (University of Guelph)

Assistant Coach: Kelly Paton (Western University)

Assistant Coach: Shaun Reagan (University of Waterloo)

Equipment Manager: Jean Huynh (McGill University)

Therapist: Natalie Paladino (University of Windsor)

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 12,000 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four conferences vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CIS_SIC

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cissports

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/universitysport

-CIS-

For further information, please contact:

Alan Hudes

Coordinator, Communications

Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242

Cell: 647-991-5343

ahudes@universitysport.ca

Pat Park