News

Westman Wildcats Brandi Pollock Signs with Robert Morris University

Brandi Pollock, from Virden, signed her NLI committing her to the NCAA’s Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Pollock a senior at Virden Collegiate Institute plays defence with the Westman Wildcats and has signed in the early commitment period with the RMU Colonials. The Colonials compete in the NCAA DI College Hockey America Division.

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2009 NATIONAL WOMEN’S UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP 
SET TO START IN SURREY, B.C.

SURREY, B.C. – The puck drops Wednesday, November 4 at South Surrey Arena in Surrey, B.C., where eight provincial and regional teams will face-off in the race for gold at the 2009 National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

Ontario Red is chasing its sixth consecutive title at the championship, which has been held seven times previously since 1993. The other seven teams vying for gold this year are Ontario Blue, Alberta, Atlantic, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

The National Women’s Under-18 Championship brings together all-star teams made up of the best female hockey players born in 1992 or later. The tournament serves as an important platform for Hockey Canada scouts, who use it to help evaluate candidates for the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, which will be held next April in Chicago, Ill., and other international events.

The National Women’s Under-18 Championship boasts several high-profile alumni, from household names such as Hayley Wickenheiser and Gillian Apps to rising stars such as Marie-Philip Poulin and Brianne Jenner, who are all on the centralized roster for the National Women’s Team and currently training for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

“The top young female hockey players from across the country are gathering in Surrey this week for what will be a very competitive tournament,” says Julie Healy, director of female hockey for Hockey Canada. “Twenty-one players taking part in this event were part of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 for a three-game series against the United States this summer in Calgary, and six of them helped Canada bring home silver earlier this year from the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Germany.”

“There will probably be some future Olympians playing at this year’s National Women’s Under-18 Championship,” Healy says.

The five-day tournament kicks off with four games Wednesday, including the defending champions Ontario Red taking on Ontario Blue at 5 p.m. PT.

The teams have been split into two pools, with each team to play three preliminary round games. The top two teams from both groups will move on to the semifinals, with the gold medal game set to air on Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster TSN2/RDS on Sunday, November 8. All games, excluding the gold medal game, can be seen live via webcast through hockeycanada.fasthockey.com. Each game is available for $6.95.

A full tournament ticket package featuring all 18 games is available for $80. The evening and weekend package, which includes the 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. games nightly from November 4-6 and all six playoff round games on November 7 and 8, is selling for $60. Single-game tickets cost $5 during the preliminary round and $7 during the playoff round. Call 604-761-0857 to purchase tickets.

Eastman Beats Westman 3-2

Westman Wildcats travelled to Ste Anne to play the Eastman Selects on Halloween and came out on the short side of 3-2 score.

Megan Bailey scored both of the Wildcat goals.

The Cats now will take a well deserved break in their schedule not having another game until Nov 14 when they will again travell east to play the Selects in a rematch.

The Wildcats wish both Kelsie Scott and Brandi Pollock good luck this week as they head to Surrey BC to compete with Team Manitoba in the National U18 Championships.

Wildcats Travel to Wisconsin to Play NCAA UWS Yellowjackets this Weekend

The Westman Wildcats are travelling to Wisconsin to play the NCAA University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets on Saturday.

This will be the programs first competition against NCAA opponents. The Wildcats have competed against CIS teams in the past, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

The Westman squad will stop and play the Minnesota Crunch in Grand Rapids both on the way down as well as on the way home.

 Senior Mel Kunzelman from Brandon, Junior Teagan Cassan from Medora and Senior Jasmine Pollock from Virden all play for the UWS Yellowjackets

Tournament Draw

Friday, October 16

10:00am                                 Central Plains 1 vs Westman 3

12:30pm                                 Eastman 6 vs Pembina Valley 4

3:00pm                                   Warner 10 vs Central Plains 4

5:30pm                                   Eastman 3 vs Westman 1

8:00pm                                   Pembina Valley 0 vs Warner 5

Saturday, October 17

10:00am                                 Warner 3 vs Eastman 3

12:30pm                                 Pembina Valley 6 vs Central Plains 4

3:00pm                                   Westman 2 vs Warner 2

5:30pm                                   Central Plains 2 vs Eastman 5

8:00pm                                   Westman 3 vs Pembina Valley 1

Sunday, October 18

9:00am                                  Warner 3 vs Westman 2

11:45am                                Pembina 4 vs Central 3

2:00pm                                  Warner 6 vs Eastman 0

Westman Annual Fall Classic This Weekend

The Westman Wildcats Regional Midget Female Hockey team are hosting the Westman Annual Fall Classic Tournament this weekend in Hartney.

Five teams will compete in a round robin play Friday and Saturday with playoffs on Sunday.

Pembina Valley Hawks, Central Plains Capitals and the Eastman Selects from Manitoba along with the Warner Warriors Prep School from Southern Alberta will join the host Westman Wildcats in this Weekend Fall Classic.

The tournament will begin Friday morning with round robin games  at 10:00 a.m. with the Host Wildcats playing Central Plains and continue through to Saturday night.

Sunday will see the playoff games with the finals slated for 2:00 p.m.

Wildcats Go .500 at Grand Rapids Showcase

The Westman Wildcats Regional Female Midget Hockey Team went 2-2 on the Thanksgiving Minnesota Crunch Showcase weekend in Grand Rapids.

The Wildcats first action had them up against the Thunder Bay Queens and the Cats lost 6-2.

Goal scores for the Cats were Virden’s Kayleigh Chapman and Souris’s Kelsie Scott.

The Westman squad than had a tough match with the host Minnesota Crunch and came out on the back end of a 2-0 score.

 The Wildcats than found the win column against Traverse City with a 6-0 game. Megan Bailey of Oak Lake led the Cat attack with 3 goals and a pair of helpers. KK Kirkup of Virden, Sheryl Kaskiw of Souris and Brandi Pollock of Virden rounded out the Westman scoring. Darby Peaslee of Souris recorded the shutout in the Cats net.

The final Wildcat game was against the Winnipeg Polar Ice and the Westman club finished the Showcase with a 4-1 win.

Goal scorers in this match for the cats were Bailey, Chapman and scoring their first goals of the year Brandon’s Amanda Coey and Melita’s Kelsey Sanderson.

The Wildcats next action will be this weekend in their own Westman Annual Fall Classic.

This five team Tournament will feature the Eastman Selects, Central Plains, and Pembina Valley and from Alberta the Warner Warriors as well as the host Westman Wildcats.