Team Pacific Defeats Quebec 5-4 In Overtime For 5th Place At World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

Josh Morrissey (Calgary, Alta./Prince Albert, WHL) scored a power play goal 3:12 into overtime to give Pacific a 5-4 win over Quebec and fifth place at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on Tuesday night in Windsor.

Josh Morrissey (Calgary, Alta./Prince Albert, WHL) scored a power play goal 3:12 into overtime to give Pacific a 5-4 win over Quebec and fifth place at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on Tuesday night in Windsor.

The game was a rematch of last year’s bronze medal game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, also won 5-4 in overtime by Pacific. It’s the third year in a row these Canadian teams have met in the playoff round at the U17 tournament. Team Pacific has won all three.

Matt Needham (Penticton, B.C./Kamloops, WHL), Macoy Erkamps (Ladner, B.C./Lethbridge, WHL), Greg Chase (Sherwood Park, Alta./Calgary, WHL) and Nicolas Petan (Delta, B.C./Portland, WHL) had the other goals for Pacific, which scored four second-period goals to turn a one-goal deficit after one period into a two-goal lead through 40 minutes. Pacific has not finished outside the top half of the final standings since 1997, when it was sixth.

Team Pacific finished the round robin with a 3-1 record defeating Team West (5-2), Czech Republic (4-0), and Russia (4-3) before falling to the USA (4-2) on January 2, eliminating them from medal contention.

The 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge brings together the top players in the world born in 1995 or later. The tournament is made up of 10 teams; five (5) from Canada - Quebec, Ontario, Pacific (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon), Atlantic (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) and West (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut), and five (5) International teams - Germany, Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic and the United States.

Team Pacific is comprised of 11 players from BC and 11 players from Alberta. Each province held a provincial camp over the summer to identify a set number of players. These players were evaluated during the first part of the club team season by a selected group of high performance evaluators.

Team Pacific has included some of the top hockey players that Canada has ever produced. Some notable graduates who have competed on Team Pacific include:

• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2010

• Joe Sakic, Team Pacific 1986

• Jarome Iginla, Team Pacific 1994

• Brent Seabrook, Team Pacific 2002

• Dion Phaneuf, Team Pacific 2002

• Mike Green, Team Pacific 2002

• Evander Kane, Team Pacific 2008

The Under 17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. Many players who compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the National Men’s Under 18 Team, National Junior Team and National Men’s Team.

At the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba Team Pacific finished third winning the bronze medal.

Hockey Alberta announced Tuesday the Head Coach for Team Alberta’s female squad for the 2012 National Women’s Under 18 Championship taking place November 7-11 in Dawson Creek, BC.

The Head Coach of Team Alberta Female Under-18 that will be going to Dawson Creek will be Wade Borynec of Carvel, Alberta. Borynec has been a part of the Team Alberta Female program since 2006 as a coach, coach mentor, instructor and an evaluator.

In 2009, Borynec was an Assistant Coach for Team Alberta when they went to Surrey, BC for the National Women’s U18 Championship. In 2011, he was also an Assistant Coach with the U18 Female team that won Gold at the Canada Winter Games.

“We are excited to have Wade at the helm of our Team Alberta Female U18 team for 2012,” said Team Alberta Female Coordinator, Mike Kraichy. “Wade brings a familiarity with the program as well as with the team, being that he has worked with all of these athletes in the past.”

The Team Alberta U18 Program is the final stage of identification and evaluation for Team Alberta and one of the first stages of identification for Hockey Canada’s national Programs.

The National Women’s Under-18 Championship is an event that brings together the top U18 female players from across Canada. Team participating include a combination of provincial and regional teams: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, two from Ontario (Red and Blue), Quebec and Team Atlantic (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador).

Goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer and forward Erika Sowchuk won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Under-18 World Women’s Championship in the Czech Republic, January 7th, 2012.

Maschmeyer recorded a shutout in a 3-0 victory over the United States to seal the victory in the final.

Here are some of Maschmeyer’s hockey achievements before heading to the 2012 U18 World Women’s Championship:

2011-12: Played for Alberta at the 2011 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Saguenay, Que., finishing seventh …

2010-11: Nominated for AMHL’s MVP … Won a gold medal with Alberta at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, N.S. …

OTHER: Won a gold medal at the 2009 Alberta Winter Games … Named to the AMBHL (Bantam AAA boys) All-Star Team in 2008-09 … Named to the Fort Saskatchewan (Bantam AA boys) All-Star Team in 2007-08 … Won a gold medal at the 2006 Alberta Winter Games with Zone 5

Here are some of Sowchuk’s hockey achievements before heading to the 2012 U18 World Women’s Championship:

2011-12: Played for Alberta at the 2011 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Saguenay, Que., finishing seventh 2010-11: Led the Edge School in scoring … Won a silver medal with Edge School in the JWHL playoffs … Named to the JWHL First All-Star Team … Won a gold medal with Alberta at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, N.S. …

2009-10: Played in the AMMFHL All-Star Game … Second in AMMFHL scoring … Attended the Mac’s Tournament with Medicine Hat.