Canadian national women's ice sledge hockey team

The Canadian national women's sledge hockey team represents Canada in ice sledge hockey. The team is not funded by Hockey Canada and its head coach is Tara Chisholm. Currently, the team captain is Christina Picton.
==History==
The Ontario Women's Hockey Association began to develop women's ice sledge hockey players in 2008 (at about the same time that the United States started to develop a program).http://www.owha.on.ca/Womens_Sledge_Hockey2008.asp The Ottawa Sledge Hockey Tournament hosted the first all female demonstration ice sledge hockey game on May 5, 2007. The players were composed of a group of Canadian and American women. 
==Events==
*On October 22, 2011, the national women's sledge hockey team participated in a pair of exhibition games against the Essex-Kent Ice Bullets men's team at the UCCU Complex in Amherstburg, Ontario. 
*The national day competed at the Women’s Ice Sledge Hockey International Jamboree in Philadelphia from May 9 to 14, 2012.http://www.cksn.ca/2012/05/chathams-goure-stars-for-canada-at-first-womens-sledge-event/ It was the first major Women’s Ice Sledge Hockey International competition. 
*In 2014, Canada earned a silver medal in the inaugural world championships, sanctioned by the IPC. Held in Brampton, Ontario, the team lost to the United States in the gold medal game. 
==Funding==
As the team does not receive funding under Hockey Canada, many players participate at their own expense. 
The national team attempts to compete in three or four events per year, with the team pooling monies raised by players, either through fundraising or out of their own pockets to participate. 
==Members==
*Thea Hill is a math teacher at Elgin Park Secondary, and a resident of Surrey, British Columbia. She has travelled to Edmonton for games and also plays with a co-ed team called the B.C. Surrey Eagles.http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/Math+teacher+adds+sledge+hockey+tournament+dates+calendar/6505436/story.html She was born with a rare condition called PFFD, which stands for Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency. Hill had a leg amputated and uses a prosthetic limb.
*Surrey, British Columbia resident Peggy Assinck is another member of the team that has worked with Hill to raise funds for travel expenses.
*Ashley Goure established herself as an elite player at the International Jamboree. In her first game against Team Europe, Goure scored a hat trick for an 8-0 win. In the second game, Goure would score a goal in a loss to the United States. On the second day of competition, Goure played in two games, a 5-0 shutout over USA, and a 4-1 triumph over Team Europe. She would score a goal in both contests.
==References==
Category:Ice sledge hockey