Two women’s university hockey teams will face-off in Ponoka for an exhibition game that has become a bit of a tradition over the years.
The University of Calgary Dinos female hockey team will compete against the University of Alberta Panda’s female hockey team Friday, Sept. 18 in the fourth exhibition game in as many years. The event is hosted by Ponoka Minor Hockey and the Lacoka female hockey program and is meant as a way to celebrate girls playing hockey, said event chairperson Laura Jensen.
Tickets can be purchased for $5 and Jensen said each year the stands have been full with hockey fans. Alyssa Klinger has been with the program since it started. She is now in her midget year of female hockey and is proud of the community support for the program.
“We’re there to do what we love,” said Klinger of why the girls play hockey.
“It gives us girls a chance to look into the future,” she added.
Younger players will have a chance to see a high caliber of female hockey at the game with coaches who have advocated female hockey for many years.
Danielle Goyette coaches the Dinos and Howie Draper for the Pandas. Goyette was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame and has won three Olympic medals.
Draper has won seven CIS national championships and was recently announced as the assistant coach for the 2015-16 women’s national team.
The game is expected to be an exciting one between the two teams.
For tickets email laurajensen1@live.com or look out for the female hockey players with Lacoka canvassing the community to sell tickets. The top two ticket sellers will be able to warm up with one of the teams before the big game.
At 6 p.m. a skills competition will start off the night with the game to follow at 7:30 p.m.
***A correction to the story was made to indicate the correct date for the exhibition game as Friday, Sept. 18. We regret the error.***