Round-robin play continues at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 12, 2005 - Teams from across Canada continued to battle it out in Winnipeg on day two of the 2005 Canadian ringette championships. Competition included round-robin play in the junior (ages 14-15), belle (ages 16-18) and open (ages 19 and over) divisions.

Today's open division saw British Columbia post a very close 7-6 overtime win against the Western Wild Card team, with North Vancouver's Nicole Lark dumping in the winning goal. When the Ontario and Quebec Wild Card teams matched up, Saint-Bruno's Caroline Ross picked up four of her team's five goals but it wasn't enough for the win and the Ontario Wild Card team came away with a 6-5 victory. Edmonton's Megan Todd picked up a hat trick and an assist to give her Alberta teammates a 6-2 win over the host team.

In belle division play, Ontario shutout New Brunswick 7-0 with Ottawa's Josee Surprenant picking up two goals and two assists.

In the junior division, Langley's Danielle Krusel picked up a hat trick and a pair of assists to give her team a 10-4 win over Saskatchewan. Manitoba downed Nova Scotia 9-2, with Ste Anne's Nicole Lepage picking up a hat trick and an assist. The host team later ended Manitoba's winning streak when they posted a 6-4 win over their provincial counterparts. Thornhill's Christine MacDonald picked up four goals for her Ontario team in a 6-4 win over the host team.


Round-robin play will take place throughout the week at the University of Manitoba's Max Bell Centre, the Dakota Sportsplex, the Landmark Arena and the St. James Civic Centre. Finals in all three divisions are scheduled for Saturday, April 16th at the Max Bell Centre (junior division at 10:00 am, belle division at noon and open division at 2:00 pm - all times are CDT).

Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Competition continues Wednesday, April 13th at 8:30 a.m. (CDT).

Results for Tuesday, April 12th at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba as of 9:45 pm CDT:


JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)
Alberta 7 BC 1
Québec 5 New Brunswick 2
Ontario 6 Host 4
Manitoba 9 Nova Scotia 2
BC 6 Saskatchewan 4
Alberta 10 New Brunswick 1
Host 8 Manitoba 4
Saskatchewan 6 Nova Scotia 3
Québec vs Ontario (game delayed, results to follow tomorrow)

BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)
Manitoba 6 Host 1
Alberta 4 Saskatchewan 1
Québec 5 BC 3
Ontario 7 New Brunswick 0
BC vs Host (game postponed and will be played April 13th at 8:30 am)
Manitoba 7 New Brunswick 0
Ontario 6 Saskatchewan 2
Alberta 5 Québec 4

OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)
Ontario 8 Saskatchewan 1
Ontario Wild Card 6 Québec Wild Card 5
Alberta 6 Host 2
Manitoba 5 Québec 3
BC 7 Western Wild Card 6 (OT)
Ontario 10 Québec Wild Card 3
Saskatchewan 4 Host 2
Manitoba 8 BC 1
Ontario Wild Card vs Québec (game delayed, results to follow tomorrow)
Western Wild Card vs Alberta (game delayed, results to follow tomorrow)

Leaders emerging at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 13, 2005 - Leaders are starting to emerge on day three of the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Competition today included round-robin play in the junior (ages 14-15), belle (ages 16-18) and open (ages 19 and over) divisions. Alberta and Ontario remain undefeated in the open division, while Quebec is the only undefeated team in the junior division. The Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario teams are yet to be defeated in the belle division.

The open division saw previously undefeated Alberta and Manitoba match-up, with Alberta coming away with a 9-3 victory. Sherwood Park's Tarin Scobie picked up an assist and three goals in the game. Ontario downed BC 4-1 with Ottawa's Barb Bautista picking up a hat trick. Montreal's Julie Blanchette scored the overtime goal to give her Quebec team their first win this week. The final score was 5-4 over Saskatchewan.

The belle division saw a close game between British Columbia and New Brunswick, with British Columbia coming away with a 7-6 win. Kitchener's Jessica Walden picked up two goals and an assist to give her Ontario teammates a 4-3 victory over Quebec.

The New Brunswick junior team claimed their first victory after downing Ontario 5-4. Cocagne's Dominique Prive picked up a hat trick for New Brunswick. The Ontario juniors downed previously undefeated Alberta 5-4. Whitby's Megan MacAulay posted a hat trick and an assist in the game. The Quebec juniors downed Manitoba 10-9 in overtime, with Laval's Jessica Pepper scoring four goals and an assist.

Round-robin play will take place throughout the week at the University of Manitoba's Max Bell Centre, the Dakota Sportsplex, the Landmark Arena and the St. James Civic Centre. Finals in all three divisions are scheduled for Saturday, April 16th at the Max Bell Centre (junior division at 10:00 am, belle division at noon and open division at 2:00 pm - all times are CDT).

Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Competition continues Thursday, April 14th at 8:40 a.m. (CDT).

Results for late night games on Tuesday, April 12th and games on Wednesday, April 13th at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)
Québec 5 Ontario 4 (game played on Tuesday evening)
New Brunswick 5 Ontario 4
Québec 7 BC 5
Saskatchewan 5 Manitoba 1
Host 7 Nova Scotia 3
Ontario 5 Alberta 4
Québec 10 Manitoba 9 (OT)
Saskatchewan 8 New Brunswick 2
Alberta 9 Nova Scotia 2
BC 9 Host 2

STANDINGS
1. Quebec (5-0)
2. Alberta (4-1
3. BC (3-2)
Ontario (3-2)
Saskatchewan (3-2)
6. Manitoba (2-3)
7. Host (2-4)
8. New Brunswick (1-4)
9. Nova Scotia (0-5)


BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)
BC 3 Host 1
Ontario 4 Québec 3
Manitoba 5 Saskatchewan 0
BC 7 New Brunswick 6
Alberta 8 Host 1

STANDINGS
1. Alberta (4-0)
Manitoba (4-0)
Ontario (4-0)
4. BC (3-1)
5. Québec (1-3)
6. Saskatchewan (0-4)
Host (0-4)
New Brunswick (0-4)


OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)
Ontario Wild Card 8 Québec 3 (game played late on Tuesday evening)
Alberta 5 Western Wild Card 4 (game played late on Tuesday evening)
Québec Wild Card 4 Host 1
Québec 5 Saskatchewan 4 (OT)
Alberta 9 Manitoba 3
Ontario 4 BC 1
Ontario Wild Card 6 Western Wild Card 6
Ontario 5 Manitoba 4
Alberta 7 Québec 0
Québec Wild Card 9 BC 7
Western Wild Card 7 Host 1
Ontario Wild Card 7 Saskatchewan 1

STANDINGS
1. Alberta (6-0)
Ontario (6-0)
3. Ontario Wild Card (5-1)
4. Manitoba (4-2)
5. Québec Wild Card (3-3)
6. BC (2-4)
7. Western Wild Card (1-5)
Host (1-5)
Saskatchewan (1-5)
. Quebec (1-5)

Top spots still up for grabs as teams enter last day of round-robin play at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 14, 2005 - After four days of round-robin play, the top spots are still up for grabs at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Teams will finish up round-robin play tomorrow morning in the junior (ages 14-15), belle (ages 16-18) and open (ages 19 and over) divisions, with the semi-finals being held in the afternoon. Finals in all three divisions are scheduled for Saturday, April 16th at the Max Bell Centre (junior division at 10:00 am, belle division at noon and open division at 2:00 pm - all times are CDT).

In the open division today, Edmonton's Jennifer Krochak posted a pair of goals to give her undefeated Alberta teammates a 2-1 victory over the Ontario Wild Card team. Ontario, also undefeated, picked up a 7-3 win over Quebec and 6-2 win over the host. Ottawa's Barb Bautista picked up a hat trick in the game against Quebec and an assist in the game against the host. Alberta and Ontario will meet up Friday morning with the winner receiving a bye to the final on Saturday. The Ontario Wild Card team will play in the semi-final after downing Manitoba 6-3 in the last game of the evening.

In the belle division, previously undefeated Ontario was downed 11-4 by Manitoba. Winnipeg's Christine Delisle posted two goals and two assists and her teammate Chelsea Braun picked up a hat trick. Alberta then downed Manitoba 3-2 in overtime to move ahead as the only undefeated belle team. Calgary's Jillian LaFrance scored the overtime winner.

Junior division play saw Alberta down previously undefeated Quebec. Calgary's Jacqueline Ho posted a pair of goals for the 3-1 win. Cocagne's Dominique Prive picked up her second hat trick of the week to give her New Brunswick teammates a 4-2 win over the host team. Prive also posted an assist in the game.


Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Competition continues Friday, April 15th at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).

Results for Thursday, April 14th at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)
Alberta 3 Québec 1
Ontario 10 Nova Scotia 3
BC 10 Manitoba 3
New Brunswick 4 Host 2
Saskatchewan 5 Alberta 4
Québec 10 Nova Scotia 3
Ontario 9 Manitoba 2
BC 8 New Brunswick 1
Saskatchewan 8 Host 4

STANDINGS
1. Québec (6-1)
2. BC (5-2)
Alberta (5-2)
Saskatchewan (5-2)
Ontario (5-2)
6. Manitoba (2-5)
. New Brunswick (2-5)
8. Host (2-6)
9. Nova Scotia (0-7)


BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)
Alberta 11 BC 5
Saskatchewan 3 New Brunswick 2
Host 5 Québec 1
Manitoba 11 Ontario 4
Québec 2 New Brunswick 1
Host 4 Saskatchewan 1
Ontario 5 BC 3
Alberta 3 Manitoba 2 (OT)

STANDINGS
1. Alberta (6-0)
2. Manitoba (5-1)
Ontario (5-1)
4. BC (3-3)
5. Host (2-4)
Québec (2-4)
7. Saskatchewan (1-5)
8. New Brunswick (0-6)


OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)
Ontario 7 Québec 3
Western Wild Card 6 Saskatchewan 1
BC 3 Host 3
Alberta 2 Ontario Wild Card 1
Manitoba 9 Québec Wild Card 3
Ontario 6 Host 2
Québec 5 Western Wild Card 4
Alberta 4 BC 0
Québec Wild Card 6 Saskatchewan 5 (OT)
Ontario Wild Card 6 Manitoba 3

STANDINGS
1. Alberta (8-0)
Ontario (8-0)
3. Ontario Wild Card (6-2)
4. Manitoba (5-3)
5. Québec Wild Card (4-4)
6. BC (3-5)
7. Québec (2-6)
Western Wild Card (2-6)
8. Saskatchewan (1-7)
. Host (1-7)

Alberta belle and open teams finish up round-robin play undefeated, teams enter semi-final play at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 15, 2005 - The Quebec juniors and the Alberta belle and open teams have all earned a bye to the finals after round-robin play finished up this morning at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Semi-final action will take place this evening, with Ontario and Alberta meeting in the junior division (ages 14-15), Manitoba and Ontario meeting in the belle division (ages 16-18), and Ontario and the Ontario Wild Card team meeting in the open division (ages 19 and over).

Finals in all three divisions are scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, April 16th, at the Max Bell Centre (junior division at 10:00 am, belle division at noon and open division at 2:00 pm - all times are CDT).

Today in the open division, previously undefeated Alberta and Ontario met up, with Alberta coming away with a 4-0 shutout and a bye to the finals. Jacinda Rolph, from Stony Plain, contributed two goals for the Alberta win. Ontario will meet up with the Ontario Wild Card team in the semi-finals tonight.

In the belle division, Alberta finished up round-robin play undefeated and received a bye to the finals after posting a 5-3 win over Ontario. Calgary's Ashley Peters posted a pair of goals and an assist in the game against Ontario. The loss moves Ontario to third and they will meet Manitoba, who downed BC 7-1, in the semi-final tonight.

The Quebec juniors secured a bye to the finals after downing Saskatchewan 6-5 in overtime. Katherine Groulx (Vaudreuil sur le Lac) and Marie-Eve Hamelin (Delson) each picked up a pair of goals and an assist in the game. Kirkland's Alexandra Zlotnick dumped in the overtime goal. Ontario downed BC 5-1 to end round-robin play in second place and Alberta placed third after downing Manitoba 8-1. Ontario and Alberta will meet up this evening in semi-final action.


Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Results for Friday, April 15 at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as of 2:30 pm CDT:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)
Québec 6 Saskatchewan 5 (OT)
Alberta 8 Manitoba 1
New Brunswick 5 Nova Scotia 3
Ontario 5 BC 1

Semi-final game to be played at 5:00 pm CDT tonight:
Ontario vs. Alberta

Final game to be played at 10:00 am CDT tomorrow:
Quebec vs. winner of semi-final

Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. BC (5-3)
5. Saskatchewan (5-3)
6. New Brunswick (3-5)
7. Host (2-6)
8. Manitoba (2-6)
9. Nova Scotia (0-8)


BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)
Saskatchewan 4 Québec 2
Alberta 5 Ontario 3
Host 7 New Brunswick 0
Manitoba 7 BC 1

Semi-final game to be played at 6:30 pm CDT tonight:
Manitoba vs. Ontario

Final game to be played at 12:00 pm CDT tomorrow:
Alberta vs. winner of semi-final
Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. BC (3-4)
5. Host (3-4)
6 Saskatchewan (2-5)
7. Québec (2-5)
8. New Brunswick (0-7)


OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)
Manitoba 4 Saskatchewan 3
Alberta 4 Ontario 0
Ontario Wild Card 8 Host 4
BC 3 Québec 2 (OT)
Western Wild Card 5 Québec Wild Card 4

Semi-final game to be played at 8:00 pm CDT tonight:
Ontario vs. Ontario Wild Card

Final game to be played at 2:00 pm CDT tomorrow:
Alberta vs. winner of semi-final

Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. Manitoba (6-3)
5. Québec Wild Card (4-5)
6. BC (4-5)
7. Western Wild Card (3-6)
8. Québec (2-7)
9. Saskatchewan (1-8)
10. Host (1-8)

Alberta represented in all three finals at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 15, 2005 - Alberta will be playing in all three division finals at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba tomorrow. They will meet up with Quebec in the junior division, Manitoba in the belle division and Ontario in the open division.

In open semi-final action tonight, Ontario downed the Ontario Wild Card team 3-2. Ottawa's Allison Shoobert, Gloucester's Genevieve Dorval and Kanata's Lisa O'Kane each picked up singles in the game. The win moves Ontario into the finals against Alberta and the Ontario Wild Card will go home with bronze. Cambridge's Jennifer Gaudet and Genevieve Dorval both received individual achievement awards and Sadie Bulger from Gloucester picked up the defensive game star award.

Manitoba posted a 4-2 win over Ontario in semi-final belle action tonight. Winnipeg's Chelsea Braun posted a pair of goals and an assist in the game, while Stonewall's Sheena MacDonald and Winnipeg's Ashley Lutz each picked up single goals and assists. The win moves Manitoba into the finals against Alberta and Ontario will go home with bronze. Winnipeg's Chelsea Braun and Lindsey Vivian from Mitchell, Ontario both received individual achievement awards and Winnipeg's Kristy Maksymyk picked up the defensive game star award.

The Alberta juniors posted a 4-3 win over Ontario in semi-final play, with Calgary's Rickey-Lee De Vries and Alyssa Bosch both picking up a goal and an assist in the game. The win moves Alberta into the finals against Quebec and Ontario will go home with bronze. Kaitlyn Youldon from Nepean, Ontario and Dailyn Bell from Lacombe, Alberta both received individual achievement awards and Caitlyn Hellingman from Blackstock, Ontario picked up the defensive game star award.


Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Semi-final results for Friday, April 15 at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)

Semi-final game:
Alberta 4 . Ontario 3

Final game to be played at 10:00 am CDT tomorrow:
Quebec vs. Alberta

Bronze: Ontario
Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. BC (5-3)
5. Saskatchewan (5-3)
6. New Brunswick (3-5)
7. Host (2-6)
8. Manitoba (2-6)
9. Nova Scotia (0-8)


BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)

Semi-final game:
Manitoba 4 Ontario 2

Final game to be played at 12:00 pm CDT tomorrow:
Alberta vs. Manitoba

Bronze: Ontario
Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. BC (3-4)
5. Host (3-4)
6 Saskatchewan (2-5)
7. Québec (2-5)
8. New Brunswick (0-7)


OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)

Semi-final game:
Ontario 3. Ontario Wild Card 2

Final game to be played at 2:00 pm CDT tomorrow:
Alberta vs. winner of semi-final

Bronze: Ontario Wild Card
Round-robin standing for remaining teams:
4. Manitoba (6-3)
5. Québec Wild Card (4-5)
6. BC (4-5)
7. Western Wild Card (3-6)
8. Québec (2-7)
9. Saskatchewan (1-8)
10. Host (1-8)

Quebec picks up first gold medal in ten years at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 16, 2005 - Quebec broke a ten-year gold medal drought today after downing Alberta 4-3 in the junior final at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Laval's Jessica Pepper picked up a hat trick, including the winning goal with just over three minutes left in the game. Pepper and Dailyn Bell from Lacombe, Alberta both received individual achievement awards and Catherine Gauthier from St-Anne des Plaines picked up the defensive game star award. Alberta goes home with silver and Ontario claimed the bronze.

In the open final, Alberta continued their week-long winning streak to claim gold. Also the National Ringette League's Western division champions, Alberta downed Ontario 8-4 for the gold. Edmonton's Kim Smyth picked up a hat trick and an assist in the game, while Edmonton's Megan Todd picked up a pair of goals and assists. Todd and Ottawa's Barb Bautista both received individual achievement awards and Robyn Mann picked up the defensive game star award. Ontario takes home silver and the Ontario Wild Card team claimed bronze.

In the belle final, Alberta posted a 6-2 win over Manitoba for the gold. Jillian LaFrance and Victoria Russell, both from Calgary, each picked up a pair of goals and an assist in the game. LaFrance and Winnipeg's Kayla Krentz both received individual achievement awards and Calgary's Ashley Peters picked up the defensive game star award. Manitoba skates away with silver and Ontario go home with bronze.


Approximately 500 athletes, representing 27 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the territories, are competing in the championships. This year's open division will see competition among six provincial champions, a host team from Winnipeg, as well as three wild card entries from the National Ringette League, which was officially launched this past season. The league saw 17 teams competing in three divisions (Western, Ontario and Quebec), with divisional titles and a berth to the Canadian ringette championships up for grabs.

This year's championships represent the 27th annual competition for the sport. Winnipeg also hosted the first-ever Canadian ringette championships in 1979, as well as the 1988 and 1995 events. At last year's championships, held in Calgary, Alberta, gold was claimed by Ontario in the belle division, and by Alberta in the junior and open divisions. The 2006 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Longueuil, Quebec from April 3 to 8, 2006.

For more information on the 2005 Canadian ringette championships, including game summaries and stats, please visit either the official host Web site at: http://www.manitobaringette.ca/20050101/crc_main.html or the Ringette Canada Web site at: www.ringette.ca.

Final results from the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)

Final game:
Quebec 4. Alberta 3
Gold: Québec
Silver: Alberta
Bronze: Ontario
4. BC
5. Saskatchewan
6. New Brunswick
7. Host
8. Manitoba
9. Nova Scotia


BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)

Final game:
Alberta 6 Manitoba 2
Gold: Alberta
Silver: Manitoba
Bronze: Ontario
4. BC
5. Host
6 Saskatchewan
7. Québec
8. New Brunswick


OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)

Final game:
Alberta 8 Ontario 4
Gold: Alberta
Silver: Ontario
Bronze: Ontario Wild Card
4. Manitoba
5. Québec Wild Card
6. BC
7. Western Wild Card
8. Québec
9. Saskatchewan
10. Host

Ringette Canada Olie Performance Awards presented at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 16, 2005 - The Ringette Canada Olie Performance Awards were presented today at the 2005 Canadian ringette championships that have been taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba since Monday. The performance awards recognize excellence in the sport of ringette and were presented at the closing ceremonies.

The Canadian ringette championships are designed to crown Canadian champions in the junior (age 14-15, belle (age 16-18), open (age 19 and over) divisions; to provide fun, friendship and fitness to participating players; and to encourage ringette across Canada.

"While the focus of the national championships is to recognize team excellence, they also provide an opportunity to recognize outstanding individual performances," said Joanne Dearden, president, Ringette Canada. "The athletes selected for our performance awards have demonstrated superior skills, as well as dedication to teamwork and fair play."

While the championships hope to stimulate ringette participation in Canada, they also carry the important goal of promoting excellence in competitive ringette - team excellence and individual excellence. Criteria for being awarded a performance award include: general excellence, specialized skills in her position, contribution to team success, capacity for fair play, and sportsmanship.

"Ringette Canada would also like to acknowledge Olie's assistance in recognizing the efforts of these outstanding athletes," added Dearden. "Their support is greatly appreciated."

Fair play awards were also presented in each division. Winners included the Nova Scotia juniors, the Alberta belles and the Ontario open team.

The Ringette Canada Olie Performance Awards were presented to:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14-15)
First team:
Goalie: Vanessa Girouard - New Brunswick
Defense: Caitlyn Hellingman - Ontario
Defense: Megan MacAulay - Ontario
Forward: Jessica Pepper - Quebec
Forward: Rickey-Lee DeVries - Alberta
Centre: Katherine Groulx - Quebec

Second team:
Goalie: Julie Menard - Quebec
Defense: Trish Mykietowich - Host
Defense: Annie-Pier Seguin - Quebec
Forward: Shaylan Glow - Saskatchewan
Forward: Dailyn Bell - Alberta
Centre: Deanna DaDalt - Ontario

BELLE DIVISION (Age 16-18)
First team:
Goalie: Amy Clarkson - Host
Defense: Jessica Simpson - Manitoba
Defense: Ainsley Kerr - Alberta
Forward: Emma Dowds - Ontario
Forward: Marie-Eve D'Aoust - Alberta
Centre: Victoria Russell - Alberta

Second team:
Goalie: Christele Piche - Quebec
Defense: Ashley Peters - Alberta
Defense: Gillian O'Byrne - Saskatchewan
Forward: Ainsley Ferguson - Manitoba
Forward: Christine Delisle - Manitoba
Centre: Caley Miskimin - Host

OPEN DIVISION (Age 19 and over)
First team:
Goalie: Shannon Bettles - Ontario Wild Card
Defense: Jackie Gaudet - Ontario Wild Card
Defense: Julie Blanchette - Quebec
Forward: Megan Todd - Alberta
Forward: Caroline Ross - Quebec Wild Card
Centre: Jennifer Gaudet - Ontario Wild Card

Second team:
Goalie: Leanne Ball - British Columbia
Defense: Michelle Mackay - Alberta
Defense: Alexis Snowdon - Alberta
Forward: Sharolyn Wouters - Ontario Wild Card
Forward: Jennifer Krochak - Alberta
Centre: Maria Thompson - Western Wild Card

Ringette Canada awards scholarships

Winnipeg, Manitoba - April 16, 2005 - Ringette Canada announced the recipients of the seventh annual Agnes Jacks Scholarship Awards and the fifth annual Cara Brown Ringette Scholarship Awards at the closing ceremonies of the 2005 Canadian ringette championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba..

Receiving Agnes Jacks scholarships were Carrie Lugg (Ottawa, ON), Sarah MacDonald (Stoney Creek, ON), Jenna McBride (Ottawa, ON), Kristy Maksymyk (Winnipeg, MB) and Julie Koester (Rockyford, AB). Receiving Cara Brown Ringette scholarships were Shauna Sawich (Winnipeg, MB) and Sara DuBreuil (Halifax, NS).

Agnes Jacks, who sadly passed away on April 1, 2005, was the widow of Sam Jacks, who invented the sport of ringette back in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario. While the sport lost Mr. Jacks' guiding hand through his untimely passing in 1975, the ringette community continued to benefit greatly from Agnes' dedicated and enthusiastic promotion of the sport, and the ringette community appropriately laid claim to Mrs. Jacks as their very own goodwill ambassador. The Agnes Jacks Scholarship Award is presented to ringette players, coaches and/or officials who have demonstrated a strong academic performance and a commitment to the sport of ringette. Recipients receive a $1,000 scholarship towards post-secondary education and also receive a scholarship award certificate recognizing their achievements.

Cara Brown is a ringette athlete who has played competitively in both Sudbury and Calgary and has participated in 16 Canadian ringette championships, as well as serving as team captain at the World ringette championship in 1990, 1992 and 1994. The Cara Brown Ringette Scholarship, which was formed to recognize Cara's involvement in ringette, is awarded to a registered ringette player who is actively playing ringette at the elite level, who is entering a Canadian university on a full-time basis for the first time, who combines academic excellence and a minimum of a B average with a strong commitment to the sport of ringette. Recipients receive a $750 scholarship towards post-secondary education and also receive a scholarship award certificate recognizing their achievements.