Emily Clark of the Okanagan Hockey Academy was named to the Canadian national women’s development team.
The announcement was made by Hockey Canada today regarding the 22-player roster. Hockey Canada’s website reported that the team will compete in a three-game series against the United States’ women’s under-22 national team from Aug. 21-24 at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
The 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders were chosen following Canada’s national women’s development team selection camp, held Aug. 7-17. Players were divided into two teams, Blue and Yellow, and competed in three intrasquad games during selection camp.
Clark, who will play for the University of Wisconsin next season, is one of eight player that helped Canada win the women’s U18 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Heinola, Finland.
Clark won’t be the only person from the OHA on the national team. The OHA reported on its website that current defenceman Micah Hart was named to the Canadian under-18 national team for the second consecutive year. Like the U22 team, the U18 squad will face-off against the United States in a three-game series in Calgary starting on August 21.
Hart, 17, accumulated 19 points (1-18-19) in 42 games with the OHA female prep team last season. The Saanichton product is one of three returning players from the gold medal winning Canadian team at the 2014 IIHF Women’s Under-18 Championships.
OHA will also have ties off the ice, as former director of athletic therapy Christine Atkins will serve as team therapist for the U22 squad. Atkins was an athletic therapist for OHA from 2010 until July 2014 when she accepted a position at the University of Calgary.
