Nine games on the first two days will mostly be my downfall, and working in a cold arena never helps when it comes to "ideal conditions" for calling a game. I am excited, though, to see a number of excellent AAA and prep teams from across western Canada and Ontario as the next wave of great university players descends upon Winnipeg for the 2023 Female World Sport School Challenge!
Game One should be a beauty as the Lloydminster PWM Steelers meet the Winnipeg Avros. The Steelers always have a competitive team and they seem to do well at this tournament while the Avros have been one of Manitoba's best teams over the last few years and they narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at last year's tournament. Having these two meet in the first game of the tournament should have hockey fans excited as this tournament gets underway!
The Yellowhead Chiefs meet the St. Mary's Academy Flames in the second game I'll call, and these two teams should be competitive with one another. Yellowhead is always a tenacious team in the MFHL where they seem to be a "tough out" in the playoffs, and the St. Mary's Academy Flames are loaded with talent and come prepared as hosts of the tournament. I have yet to see Yellowhead play this season and I've seen St. Mary's play once, but this one will be fun as two great Manitoba teams do battle!
The Westman Wildcats meet the Northern Capitals in Game Three on Wednesday, and this one should be fun. Westman is a great team and are the reigning MFHL champions, so they'll likely be locked in for their first game. I have not seen the Northern Capitals in any form as this will be their first appearance at the tournament, but I do know they've sent a handful of players to U SPORTS teams in recent years. The Prince George, BC team will be welcomed by me, but I doubt the Wildcats will be as gracious as they battle the Capitals.
A mainstay at these tournaments, the Thunder Bay Queens return once again in 2023 as they hunt for a medal. They'll meet the Edmonton Junior Oilers in those teams' first games of the tournament, and this one should be fun. The Queens are an independent team in terms of league play, but they'll face all challengers who want a game. They've been extremely successful this season and have a well-rounded team, so they'll be good again at this year's tournament. The Edmonton Junior Oilers are making their first appearance at the tournament, and they bring some solid play with them to Winnipeg. Led by a number of coaches who played at the ACAC and U SPORTS levels, they're well-coached, will play hard, and should give the Queens all they can handle.
Beyond that, I'll get to see the AFHL's best team in the Calgary Fire, the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers from BC, and the Eastman Selects on Friday before the placement games and one of two semifinals on Saturday. The winner of that game will return to the Subway Arena on Sunday to compete for the gold medal, and I'll be there for all of them. Sixteen of the best teams from four provinces will meet face-to-face, toe-to-toe, and mano-a-mano for the right to hoist the trophy in four days' time.
The 2023 Female World Sport School Challenge starts tomorrow at noon. I'll see you at the Scotiabank Hockey For All Center for all the action, and you can listen on UMFM's Second Stream all weekend long!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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