Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario take home gold from the 2002 Canadian ringette championships

April 6, 2002

Regina, Saskatchewan - -Jodi Jensen of Ottawa scored in overtime to give Ontario a 4-3 gold win over Alberta in the open (ages 19 and over) division at the 2002 Canadian ringette championships. Jensen also picked up the first goal of the game.

"We came together and played with pressure throughout the whole game," said Jensen. "We proved that hustle outweighed skill in allowing us to win the game."

Ottawa's Nadia Tomy picked up the defensive game star award, while Gloucester's Barb Bautista and Edmonton's Jennifer Krochak each picked up individual achievement awards.

In the junior (ages 14-15) final, Alberta continued their winning streak to claim gold after downing British Columbia 7-5. Calgary's Victoria Russell picked up a goal and two assists in the game. Calgary's Allison Cronin picked up the defensive game star award, while Edmonton's Danielle Holt and Burnaby's Ashley Mayr each picked up individual achievement awards.

Chelsea Hansen and Nicole Hekle, both from Winnipeg, were instrumental in helping Manitoba capture a 5-2 win over Alberta in the belle (ages 16-18) division. Hansen picked up three goals and one assist, while Hekle posted one goal and three assists. Winnipeg's Elisa Proutt was named the defensive game star, while Winnipeg's Chelsea Hansen and Sherwood Park's Tarin Scobie received awards for individual achievement.

Dom Sports sponsored the individual achievement and defensive game star awards.

Over 450 athletes, representing 25 teams from all provinces except Newfoundland and the territories participated in this year's championships, which represent the 24th annual competition for the sport. At last year's championships, held in Moncton, New Brunswick, Alberta captured gold in the belle and open divisions, while Manitoba took the gold in the junior division. The 2003 Canadian ringette championships will be held in Waterloo, Ontario from March 29-April 5, 2003.

Results for Saturday, April 6th at the 2002 Canadian ringette championships in Regina, Saskatchewan:

JUNIOR DIVISION (Age 14 and 15)
Final:
Alberta 7 B.C. 5
Gold - Alberta
Silver - B.C.
Bronze - Ontario
4th Quebec
5th Regina host
6th Saskatchewan
7th Manitoba
8th Nova Scotia
9th New Brunswick

BELLE DIVISION (Ages 16-18)
Final:
Manitoba 5 Alberta 2
Gold - Manitoba
Silver - Alberta
Bronze - British Columbia
4th Quebec
5th Ontario
6th Saskatchewan
7th Regina host
8th Nova Scotia
9th Prince Edward Island

OPEN DIVISION (Ages 19 and over)
Final:
Ontario 4 Alberta 3
Gold - Ontario
Silver - Alberta
Bronze - British Columbia
4th Quebec
5th Manitoba
6th Saskatchewan
7th Regina host

About Ringette
Ringette is a 39-year-old Canadian invention that has become one of the fastest team sports on ice. There are currently over 24,700 players on more than 2,000 teams across the country with over 1,800 officials and over 5,000 coaches. Internationally, it is played in half a dozen other countries around the world.

From November 25-30th, Canada will host the 2002 World ringette championships in Edmonton, Alberta, where national teams from Finland, France, and Sweden, the United States and Canada will compete for the world title.

For more information, please refer to the Ringette Canada Web site at www.ringette.ca.