Canadian team to face US rivals in Sunday’s CWHL Clarkson Cup Championship presented by Scotiabank
by Anne Douglas
March 27, 2010
In the kind of intensity you see when Canadians and Americans face off against each other, the Minnesota Whitecaps beat the Mississauga Chiefs to earn the right to vie for the Clarkson Cup in tomorrow’s final.
That means the American team will face Canadians in tomorrow’s second annual CWHL Clarkson Cup Championship presented by Scotiabank. Minnesota will take on the Brampton Thunder on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Elgin Barrow Arena in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Both Minnesota and Mississauga showcased women’s hockey at its best today, boasting several of the top female hockey players in the world. The Mississauga Chiefs have Olympic gold-medal winning goaltender Sami Jo Small in their net and a former member of Canada’s Under 22 Team, Sommer West. The Minnesota Whitecaps’ line-up includes U.S. Olympic team members Julie Chu and Jenny Potter.
As the first to score in today’s game, Potter carried it across the line and blasted it into Mississauga’s net. In the second period, a redirection into the far side of the net by Minnesota’s Erin Keys set the Mississauga team back by two. Also in the second period, Minnesota’s Maggie Fisher intercepted a pass high in the Mississauga zone and took the puck coast to coast for a breakaway goal, bringing the score to 3-0. In the third period, Mississauga regained some momentum when West scored just thirty seconds into the period. But it wasn’t enough.
With the win, Minnesota facing off against Brampton in tomorrow’s final game means a sort of Canada-USA rematch. Minnesota and Team USA players Potter and Chu will be playing against Team Canada’s Jayna Hefford and Gillian Apps. Tickets for the final game on Sunday at 3 p.m. will be available for $15 at the door.
Mayor of Richmond Hill, Dave Barrow, attended the game and delivered opening comments to the crowd and assisted in the ceremonial puck drop, along with Nancy Drolet, CWHL Chairperson of the Board and Brenda Field, Branch Manager, Scotia Bank, Richmond Hill.
Players of the game were: for Minnesota, Jenny Potter and for Mississauga, Sommer West.
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson will be in attendance to present the Clarkson Cup this Sunday at 3 p.m. Like the Stanley Cup™, it was commissioned by and named for a Governor General of Canada and is the premiere sports trophy in women’s hockey.
The CWHL Clarkson Cup Championship pulls together the two elite women’s hockey leagues in Canada, the CWHL and WWHL, for a complete weekend of elite hockey presented by Scotiabank.
Comprise of many current, former and upcoming Olympic athletes, the CWHL was established in 2007 by the players themselves. The CWHL is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising the profile of women’s hockey in Canada while providing a place where the best female hockey players can play and compete. By day these women are moms, have successful careers and graduate from top-tier universities. By night they’re Canada’s finest female hockey players — unpaid, underestimated and ultimately unknown. In 2007, the CWHL partnered with the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) and Scotiabank, the official bank of the NHL, NHLPA, NHL Alumni and CWHL. These partnerships have been key in the development of the league. For tickets and information please visit www.cwhl.ca.