Former Okanagan Hockey Academy player Emily Clark was named to Canada’s national women’s team Olympic roster.
Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, announced the 23-player roster on Friday that has been nominated to represent Team Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 9-25 in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Related: Former OHA female players selected for Canadian camp
“It was an extremely difficult decision narrowing down our roster due to the depth of talent on our team; we are excited to move forward with the 23 players chosen to represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games,” said head coach Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont). “These players have worked hard to earn this moment and we are confident that they will be able to inspire and unite our country as they set their sights on a fifth straight gold medal for Canada.”
Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin) was a student at Okanagan Hockey Academy from 2012-2014 before heading to the University of Wisconsin. The Saskatoon, Sask. product has represented the Canadian National Women’s Team three times at the World Championships, collecting three silver medals.
Another former OHA player, Micah Zandee-Hart, was on the centralization roster, but was cut along with five other players for the final national team squad.
Hart spent four seasons at OHA from 2011-2015 before enrolling at Cornell University. The Saanichton, B.C. product won a gold medal with the Canadian National Women’s U18 Team in 2014 and a silver in 2015.
The team also includes staff that formerly worked with OHA — Gina Kingsbury is the national women’s team programs director and had previously coached female teams at the academy and athletic therapists Heather Corliss and Christine Atkins also were former OHA staff.
The Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team also features: 14 players who won the gold medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia; six players who won the gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.; and one player who won the gold medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
- Goaltenders: Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que./University of Wisconsin, WCHA), Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.)
- Defencemen: Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Markham, CWHL), Brigette Lacquette(Mallard, Man./Calgary, CWHL), Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Man./Markham, CWHL), Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, Alta./Calgary, CWHL), Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que./Montreal, CWHL);
- Forwards: Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.), Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, Man./Calgary, CWHL), Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin, WCHA), Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./Montreal, CWHL), Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA), Marie-Philip Poulin(Beauceville, Que./Montreal, CWHL), Jillian Saulnier (Halifax/Calgary, CWHL), Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./Markham, CWHL), Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S./Calgary, CWHL), Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont./Linköping HC, SWE).