Tickets are available for the April 17 to 23 Esso Cup at Servus Credit Union Place.
A full event ticket package for general admission to all 19 games, including the semifinals and medal games, can be purchased online for $50 at www.hockeycanada.ca/essocup.
Individually priced tickets will go on sale at a later date.
Eighteen games can also be viewed online through hockeycanada.fasthockey.com for $7 per game.
The third annual national female midget hockey championship will feature five regional champions (Pacific, West, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) and the host St. Albert Slash. The five-day round robin draw (three games per day) is followed by the April 22 semifinals and the April 23 medal games. The gold-medal final will be broadcast on TSN.
At nationals last year in Regina, the Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario) edged the Notre Dame Hounds (West) for the gold by a 4-3 score.
The Esso Cup is presented by Hockey Canada and hosted by the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association and the St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club.
The Edmonton Thunder, the 2010 national bronze medallists, will play the British Columbia champions in the Pacific regional qualifier for a berth at the Esso Cup.
The Thunder rallied from a 2-1 series deficit to defeat the Red Deer Chiefs 4-2 Sunday in the fifth and deciding game in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League final for their second straight playoff crown. Scores were 3-2 Red Deer in game one, 2-0 Thunder in game two, 4-3 Red Deer in game three and 3-0 Thunder in game four.
In the north final, the Thunder eliminated the Slash in four games.
The Thunder also competed at the inaugural 2009 Esso Cup in Calgary. The Westman Wildcats (West) defeated the Scarborough Sharks (Ontario) for gold and the host Calgary Flyers won bronze.
In conjunction with the Esso Cup, a weeklong Girls Hockey Festival will be staged in the Capital region.
Events include an atom/peewee female skills camp run by Olympic gold medallist Carla MacLeod, Team Alberta Challenge zone camps, bantam and midget 3-on-3 challenge, referee development session, specialty skills coaching clinic, goalie experience day, specialty skills goalie camp, novice and atom 3-on-3 challenge, peewee 3-on-3 challenge and a hot stove discussion on female hockey.
In November, Hockey Alberta received a $25,000 grant from RBC’s Play Hockey initiative to facilitate the Girls Hockey Festival. This is the first time Hockey Alberta has offered a female specific festival of events focusing on the Long Term Athlete Development Model.
For more information, visit www.hockeyalberta.ca.
