Five Wisconsin Skaters to Join Canadian U-22 Selection Camp
July 20, 2005 | Women's Hockey
Hockey Canada announced five Wisconsin women's hockey players among a 40-person roster for the under-22 national team selection camp. Badger veterans, Sara Bauer, Meagan Mikkelson and Bobbi-Jo Slusar will join newcomers Tia Hanson and Alycia Matthews at the 10-day camp slated for Aug. 12-21. Following the camp the U-22 team will compete in a three-game series vs. the Canadian Olympic training team, Aug. 23, 25-26 in Calgary. Former Badger Carla MacLeod will be skating with the Olympic squad.
With 40 players attending the camp, the athletes will be split into two teams of 20 that will compete against each other and the Finnish national team. From the camp, 22 skaters will be selected for the three-game series vs. the Olympic team in Calgary.
Juniors Mikkelson and Slusar along with newcomer Matthews competed on the U-22 team in Germany in January of 2005 for the Air Canada Cup. The team dominated the competition and took home first-place honors. Bauer and Hanson have both participated in the U-22 camp in past years and are hoping to make this year's cut.
Canada's national under-22 women's team is the first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence aimed at women aged 18-21 playing hockey. The first year for the under-22 women's program was 1998, with the team participating in the Christmas Cup in Unna, Germany. It allows them to experience international competition and identifies the players that have potential to move on to the national women's team.
Last season the Badgers won a program-high games with a 28-9-1 record and earned their first NCAA berth. Bauer led the team in scoring with an impressive 55 points (26-29=55). Bauer will also serve as an assistant captain during the 2005-06 season. Mikkelson scored 20 points (7-13=20) while on defense, Slusar notched 10 points (1-9=10) and helped Wisconsin goalies earn 13 season shutouts.
The Badgers will drop the puck in an intrasquad scrimmage, Oct. 2 at 2:07 p.m. Regular season action will start Oct. 8-9 with a home series vs. perennial conference rival, Minnesota Duluth. Action will begin at 2:07 p.m. both days.
For a complete roster for the Canadian U-22 selection camp visit Hockey Canada .
