Krzyzaniak short listed for olympics

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Krzyzaniak short listed for olympics

Details: Published on Tuesday, May 16, 2017

C-Krzyzaniak

Submitted

The Neepawa Press

Neepawa’s Halli Krzyzaniak is among the handful of Manitoba based players vying for a spot on Canada’s Winter Olympic hockey team. On Wednesday, May 10, Hockey Canada announced the 28 players that will be centralized in Calgary throughout the 2017-18 season in preparation for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.The 28 players on the shortlist for the main roster include:

Goaltenders: Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, QC), Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, ON) and Shannon Szabados (Edmonton AB);

Defencemen: Erin Ambrose (Keswick, ON), Renata Fast (Burlington, ON),Laura Fortino (Hamilton, ON), Micah Hart (Saanichton, B.C.), Halli Krzyzaniak (Neepawa, MB), Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, MB), Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, MB), Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, AB), Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, QC);

Forwards: Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON), Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, MB), Emily Clark (Saskatoon, SK), Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, QC), Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, ON), Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON), Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, ON) Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, ON), Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.), Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.), Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC), Jillian Saulnier (Halifax/Calgary, CWHL),Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, ON),Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S.), Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON).

Canada’s National Women’s Team also announced that goaltenders Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, AB) and Erica Howe (Orleans, ON) will be available to support the centralization roster throughout the 2017-18 season, but will remain with their club teams in the Canadian Woman’s Hockey League (CWHL).

Though Krzyzaniak has not yet competed at the Olympics, the 22-year-old does head into these evaluations with considerable international experience, having suited up for Canada three times at the IIHF World Championships and twice at the World U18 Championships.

The final roster will be selected by head coach Laura Schuler alongside Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, and included support from regional scouts and assistant coaches.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our preparation for PyeongChang with this dedicated group of athletes,” Schuler said in a statement through Hockey Canada. “It was a difficult process selecting the 28 players that will vie for a spot on Canada’s Olympic roster and we’re excited to be one step closer in that journey.”

All 28 players named to Canada’s National Women’s Team centralization roster will begin their preparation with fitness testing in late May. Canada’s final 23-player roster for the Winter Games is tentatively scheduled to be determined in late December. The 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea are scheduled for Feb. 9-25.