Three St. Albert players in the Alberta Junior Hockey League made the tryout roster for the Team Canada West selection camp in preparation for the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.
Defencemen Matt Benning of the Spruce Grove Saints and Colton Parayko of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and forward Connor Hoekstra of the Canmore Eagles were among 34 players selected from the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s five western junior A leagues. The AJHL is represented by 10 players.
Benning, 17, has eight points in 13 games with the Saints after posting seven assists in 43 games for the 2011 AJHL champions.
Parayko, 18, recorded three goals and nine assists in 42 games in his AJHL rookie season with the Oil Barons. In 15 games this year he scored twice and added seven assists. He is committed to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Hoekstra, 18, is Canmore’s top scorer with 10 goals and 14 points in 15 games. Last season he collected 10 goals and 12 assists in 58 games.
Canmore head coach Andrew Milne, a former St. Albert Saint who played his minor hockey in St. Albert, is part of the Canada West coaching staff.
The World Junior A Challenge runs Nov. 7 to 13 in Langley.
The St. Albert Slash battle the rival Edmonton Thunder tonight in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League. Puck drop is 6:45 p.m. at Castledowns Arena.
In the north standings the Thunder (8-1-1) and Slash (6-3-1) are ranked first and second, respectively.
Last month the Thunder blanked the Slash 4-0 in St. Albert. Chloe Sanderson, a former Slash netminder, posted the shutout for the 2011 Esso Cup national silver medallists.
Last season the Thunder’s record against the Slash was 7-1-1 while going 43-4-5 overall. The Slash finished 41-15-4 overall after placing fifth out of six teams at the Esso Cup as the tournament hosts.
Last weekend on home ice the Slash recorded wins of 5-1 against the Lloydminster Steelers (4-6) and 7-2 against the Grande Prairie Storm (2-8-2).
Kaelin Klim (4-0, 1.91 GAA) stopped 24 Lloydminster shots and Emily Mitchell (2-3-1, 2.37 GAA) faced 23 Grande Prairie shots.
Ashley Morin led all Slash scorers with four goals and two assists. Morin is tied for third in league scoring with 17 points in eight games. Her 10 goals also rank near the top of league leaders.
Morin is one of three Slash forwards who will compete for medals at the U18 national women’s championship next week in Saguenay, Que. Her twin sister Deanna, and Jessica Kampjes were also named to the Team Alberta roster.
Karly Heffernan, a former Slash forward with the Edge Mountaineers, is also on the team.
Meanwhile, St. Albert referee Lucy Senuk has been assigned to work the tournament. Last winter she officiated at the 4 Nations Cup in Newfoundland, the U18 female tournament at the Canada Winter Games in Nova Scotia and the Esso Cup where she worked the gold medal game between the Thunder and Notre Dame Hounds.
The red-hot St. Albert Sabres extended their undefeated streak to six games with Wednesday’s 5-2 win against the KC Squires at Akinsdale Arena.
Ethan Lazaro tallied twice as the Sabres moved into a first-place tie with the Canadian Athletic Club in the nitro north division. Both teams are 6-1-2.
Joshua Perrott, Matteo Gennaro and Stephan Cretain also scored against the Squires (3-6). Thomas Friesen and Brendan Kallis collected two assists apiece.
The Sabres outshot the visitors 50-26. In net was Matt Murray.
The next game for the Sabres is Sunday against the SSAC Southgate Lions (6-1-1). Faceoff is 7:30 p.m. at Millwoods Arena.
