Bandy about: Team Canada takes to the big ice

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2016 (2519 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the uninitiated, the winter sport of bandy is best described as field hockey on skates. It is played on a surface the size of a soccer field and, much like soccer, teams have 11 players including the goalie. 

Team Canada, which is made up primarily of players from Winnipeg and surrounding areas, narrowly missed capturing bronze at the recent Women’s World Bandy Championship, held in Roseville, Minn. Canada lost in the bronze-medal game on a penalty shot in double overtime to Norway. The championship is held every two years. Canada has now played in seven world championships. Its best finish is fourth.

The rules are similar to soccer as goalies are the only players allowed to use their hands. Instead of a puck, players try to score by hitting a hard orange ball about the size of a tennis ball into the oversized net using the curved bandy stick. The sport was the precursor to hockey. Sweden and Russia are the sport’s powerhouse teams.