20 young women to suit up for Team Manitoba this november
This past week, Hockey Manitoba released its final roster for the 2024 Female Under-18 Program of Excellence (POE).
The roster was chosen from 68 of the best female players across Manitoba and consists of 12 forwards, six defenders, and two goaltenders. Three alternates have also been selected.
There are two more stages to come before Team Manitoba takes off for Quispamsis, New Brunswick for the 2024 National Women’s U18 Championship, set to run November 3-9.
The next stage of the Female U18 POE process will be a Collaborative Skills Camp on Thursday, August 12 at hockey for all centre with the Male U16 POE program, which will see the team work on concepts that are derived from Hockey Manitoba’s Principles of Play.
The fourth stage of the Female U18 POE process will see Team Manitoba compete in an exhibition series against the University of Manitoba’s women’s hockey team from August 30 – September 1, also at hockey for all center.
Christine Bumstead will lead the U18 women's team behind the bench. She most recently coached as an assistant for U18 Team Manitoba at the 2023 National Women’s U18 Championship.
This is her second season as a coach within the Female U18 POE program. Bumstead has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (U Sports) and this will be her second season coaching Team Manitoba.
She also worked as a skills coach for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades during the 2023-24 season, becoming the first woman to ever be a part of the Blades' coaching staff.
Bumstead will be joined by assistant coaches Karissa Kirkup and Autumn Garnham. This will also be Kirkup’s second year as a coach within the Female U18 POE program, as she was an assistant coach for the team at the 2023 Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island.
This will be Garnham’s first year as a coach within the Female U18 program, after recently being with the U16 women. Garnham was hired as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Stars.
Manitoba has claimed two silver medals and three bronzes since the National Women’s U18 Championship began in 2001, never capturing gold. This year’s team will try to change their - and every other province's - fortune, as the tournament has been dominated by Ontario since its beginning.
Visit GAME ON HOCKEY’S Instagram page (@Gameonmagmb) to see the full 2024 U18 POE Team Manitoba roster.
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