The Calgary Oval X-Treme are set to face off against the Minnesota Whitecaps this weekend, the only team to defeat Calgary this season. Enforcing the Whitecaps’ net will be former Olympian and NHL female goaltender Manon Rhéaume.
The X-Treme are looking to redeem themselves after their first ever two-in-a-row losses to Minnesota in December 2008 during a three-game series. The X-Treme won the first game 9-2, but lost the next two consecutive games 5-4 and 4-3, in an overtime shoot out.
“It was a good weekend of hockey because we were challenged in all three games. We learned in detail where we can improve,” said X-Treme Head Coach Bjorn Kinding. “We were behind in games two and three and came back, but unfortunately were not able to win.”
Before December’s losses, the X-Treme had not lost a regular season game in two years. In December 2006, the Whitecaps posted a 3-2 victory over Calgary, logging the X-Treme’s only loss that season. In 2007-2008 they were undefeated WWHL Champions.
“We know the importance of these two games and we are intending to put bring our A-game to the Oval on Friday and Sunday,” said Kinding about their approach to this weekend’s games. “We’ve had and 9-2 victory over this team, so we know we can beat them.”
The games are on Friday, Jan. 23 starting at 4 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 25 starting at 8:30 a.m. Rhéaume is listed to play both games.
This weekend won’t be Rhéaume’s first time at the Olympic Oval; in 1997 she joined the Olympic Oval’s high performance female hockey program and went on to win a silver medal with Canada’s Olympic team in Nagano. She is now part of the Olympic Oval’s Hockey Hall of Heroes. The Quebec goaltender is even more well known for being the first female to play in the NHL. She signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightening and played preseason games in 2002 and 2003 against St. Louis and Boston.
Rhéaume, 35, is now an affiliate player for Minnesota this season and in 2007-08. She played and won her only WWHL game last season. She lives in Michigan with her family.
For all X-Treme home games, tickets can be purchased before or on game day at the Olympic Oval front desk; adults $8, children $4.
The Calgary Oval X-Treme is the club team for Olympic gold medalists Gina Kingsbury, Colleen Sostorics, Gillian Ferrari, Carla MacLeod and Cherie Piper as well as Canadian National Team athletes Tessa Bonhomme and Delaney Collins. This elite hockey club are six time league champions and one of four high performance sport programs at the Olympic Oval.
For more details visit www.oval.ucalgary.ca.
