Courtney Vorster is not only in national team colours for the second straight summer, she will have a leading role.
The Richmond blueliner was among 24 players named to Hockey Canada’s U18 team that will be competing in a three-game series against the United States in Lake Placid, NY starting on Thursday. The roster was announced following an eight-day selection camp in Calgary that wrapped up on the weekend.
Vorster, 17, is one of five returning players from last year’s three-game summer series against the U.S. She is also one of four who helped Canada win silver at the 2017 U18 World Hockey Championship last January.
She played rep boys hockey up until two years ago when she took her promising career to Shattuck-St. Mary’s — a renowned hockey boarding school in Minnesota. She was a member of the Sabres’ Girls Prep team that won U.S. U19 Tier One National title last spring, recording four points in five games.
The Team Canada selection camp featured 42 players. Vorster and goaltender Kendra Woodland of Kamloops are the lone B.C. players named to the team.
The series with the U.S. continues with games on Friday and Sunday. All three games will be played in the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena where the United States stunned the world 37-years ago with their gold medal victory in Olympic men’s hockey.
Team Canada head coach Delaney Collins announced Vorster will serve as an alternate captain.
She is joined by Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont.) and Audrey-Anne Veillette (Drummondville, Que. The team captain is Brooke McQuigge (Bowmanville, Ont.).
“Our team is made up of a group of very talented, mature young women, all of whom have shown us they are leaders in and of their own right,” said Collins. “Our captains for the series – Brooke, Sarah, Audrey-Anne, and Courtney – have the leadership skills and the experience of short-term competition from the last world championship which will help this group achieve our shared goals during our three-game series in Lake Placid. As a team, we are looking forward to putting our preparation and work on the ice this evening and representing Canada with pride.”
Following the series in Lake Placid, Hockey Canada scouts, along with the team’s coaching staff and general manager, will continue to evaluate players with their provincial and club teams during the 2017-18 season, including at the 2017 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Quebec City, Nov. 1-5, in preparation for selecting the Canadian team that will compete at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia.
Vorster is expected to be playing for Team B.C. for the third consecutive year at U18 nationals.
