Two StFX X-Women hockey athletes are in Trentino, Italy as members of Team Canada for the 2013 Winter Universiade. Alexa Normore and Jenna Pitts will be wearing the red and white as they compete in the biennial international multi-sport event.
The pair were selected as part of the CIS all-star line-up. The roster heading to Italy is comprised of 20 standouts from all four CIS conferences, including seven from the RSEQ, six from OUA, five from Canada West and two from AUS.
Alex Normore is a fourth year forward from Bedford, N.S. who is currently leading the nation in scoring with 28 points (nine goals and 19 assists) in 12 games played. She is the reigning two-time AUS all-star and is a three-time CIS All-Canadian.
Fourth year defense Jenna Pitts hails from Antigonish, N.S. and in 12 games played to date has four points on the board and is +8 on the season. She is a two-time AUS all-star and was the MVP of the AUs championship in 2013.
Howie Draper, head coach of the University of Alberta Pandas, will be at the helm of the red and white squad in Trentino. He will be assisted by Isabelle Leclaire from Montreal and Rachel Flanagan from Guelph.
The 26th Winter Universiade will run from December 10 to 21, with the women's hockey final set for Dec. 20.
Canada heads into the tournament as defending two-time champions thanks to a 3-1 gold-medal win over host China in 2009 - when the sport made its Universiade debut - and a 4-1 victory against Finland in the 2011 championship final in Erzurum, Turkey.
The Trentino tournament will once again be a six-team competition with Great Britain, the United States, Japan, Russia and Spain rounding out the draw.
Canada and Great Britain are the only countries to take part in the tourney for the third time. Japan participated in 2009 and the Americans in 2011.
The Canadians went a perfect 14-0 overall in their first two Universiade appearances, outscoring their opponents by a 97-10 margin in the process, including 51-3 two years ago.
Canada opens this year's preliminary round on Dec. 10 against Spain and will then face Russia (Dec. 12), Great Britain (Dec. 13), the USA (Dec. 15) and Japan (Dec. 16). The semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 18, with the bronze and gold-medal games following on Dec. 20.
TEAM CANADA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times local / 5 hours ahead of AST)
Dec. 10 (8:00 pm): Canada vs. Spain
Dec. 12 (4:00 pm): Canada vs. Russia
Dec. 13 (4:00 pm): Canada vs. Great Britain
Dec. 15 (8:00 pm): Canada vs. USA
Dec. 16 (4:00 pm): Canada vs. Japan
Dec. 18 (4:00 pm): Semifinal #1 (3 vs. 2)
Dec. 18 (8:00 pm): Semifinal #2 (4 vs. 1)
Dec. 19 (4:00 pm): 5th place
Dec. 20 (4:00 pm): Bronze
Dec. 20 (8:00 pm): Final