Settling In For Hockey

The NHL might be kicking its post-season drive into high gear with the final few games of the season being played over the next few days, but I've been waiting for another tournament to start since it was announced. The 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge begins tomorrow and UMFM will be there to cover the event while calling the games on the UMFM Second Stream. Admittedly, we can't call all of them as we simply don't have that kind of broadcast power, but we'll have a pile of games on the UMFM Second Stream all weekend long including the gold medal game on Sunday morning! If you're looking for some great women's hockey action, BellMTS Iceplex is the place to be, but UMFM will bring all the action to those who can't be there!

It's going to be a busy few days from Thursday through to Sunday, so here are the games you'll hear on UMFM's Second Stream. Please note that all times are in Central Time, so adjust accordingly for your listening needs!

As you may notice, Thursday night shows the only game where we're supposed to potentially move to a different rink to call a game. This isn't set in stone at this time due to a few logistics, so the Flynn Arena game on Thursday between St. Mary's Academy and the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy may not be broadcast on UMFM. Finding a spot for a radio broadcast in a rink that wasn't meant for media broadcasts is the challenge we face there.

If you're coming down to BellMTS Iceplex to watch games, I highly recommend puchasing the tournament pass for $20. That will get you into any rink during the entire event, and it a far better deal than the $5-per-game entry that is being charged. Make it worth your while by getting the tournament pass and come to one game per day. It will pay for itself that way, and Sunday's gold medal game is part of the deal!

It should also be noted that the Friday night game at 8:15pm between St. Mary's Academy and Pembina Valley is the featured game where the sponsors and the supporters of this tournament are recognized. There's a full ceremony done before the game that includes the singing of the national anthem, and this game will see a fairly large crowd on-hand as St. Mary's Academy invites all of its students and faculty to the game. I would imagine that Pembina Valley will have their fans there as well, so we should have a loud and boisterous crowd to cheer on the teams on Friday night! This might be one of the games you don't want to miss!

Beyond that, UMFM will have a crew there who knows a thing or two about hockey. I've committed through the whole weekend once again, so my voice will be heard. Friday night will see Bisons men's hockey play-by-play broadcaster Jason Pchajek jump into the fray as he'll be on the microphone for that featured game between St. Mary's and Pembina Valley, and Jenna Thompson will make appearances throughout the weekend to add her perspective to the broadcasts! There may be other guests who stop by as well, so make sure you're listening to see who is chatting on the air!

For everyone who wants to see a professional women's hockey league in Canada, this is where the women who will fill out those rosters play. They all start somewhere, and this tournament has names that we'll likely hear for years to come as they move on to the next level of hockey in the NCAA or U SPORTS. If you enjoy watching the Canadian national women's team play, there's a good chance that one of the women who will make that roster in the next decade is playing at this tournament. Come and support them today so you can be one of those people who says, "I saw her play when she was still playing prep hockey!"

It should be another amazing weekend of hockey in Winnipeg at the 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge. I'm looking forward to working with the great crew of volunteers, the amazing staff, and all the players and coaches at the event while bringing you the action on the ice. HBIC will be using this space to keep everyone up to date on the action as well, so make sure you check back here for updates and information as to what's happening at the tournament!

We'll be on the air tomorrow around 1:30pm, so tune in then!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!