Manitoba well-represented on national ringette team

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This article was published 28/10/2022 (1308 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s Alexsi Kavvadas is preparing for her first taste of action at the World Ringette Championships and she’s determined to help Canada’s U22 team defend its junior world title.

The Canadian juniors, who play three exhibition games before Tuesday’s opening game of a two-game championship series against host Finland, won the previous U22 titles in 2015, ‘17 and ‘19.

“It’s been very exciting and getting to know all these talented players from across Canada has been insane,” Kavvadas said Friday, by phone from Espoo, Finland. “They’re great ringette players but they’re also just really great people. So, the memories that I’m making here will last me a lifetime.”

Kavvadas, 20, who earned her national team spot at a tryout camp in Mississauga, Ont., in May, is joined on the squad by Belle Paisley, a 21-year-old from Steinbach, and 21-year-old Winnipegger Nicole Girardin. Andrea Ferguson, also from Winnipeg, is serving as an assistant coach for the third time.

Meanwhile, Brett Van Nieuw Amerongen, a 22-year-old defender from Winnipeg, is the lone Manitoban on the Canadian senior team roster.

The Canadian senior squad will face off against Finland in a two-game world championship final starting Wednesday.

A third world championship division at the 2022 worlds includes less experienced national teams from the U.S., Sweden and Czechia.

Ferguson said Canada’s U22 squad is laser-focused on winning another title.

“They’re good,” said Ferguson. “There’s a lot of compete, a lot of talent and a lot of hard workers. There’s good representation across the country, from different provinces and a lot of skill in a group. We’re here to win.”

Kavvadas, who plays on a line with Ontario’s Emma Kelly and New Brunswick’s Cloe Leblanc, said chemistry was established quickly.

“It was just an instant click — everyone has someone that they bonded with and we all get along,” said Kavvadas. “It’s one of the best teams that I’ve ever been on — bond-wise and friendship-wise. It’s a really great team and a really great group of players.”

Playing for her country also meant a position change for Kavvadas, who is playing centre for Canada. She usually plays low forward on a line with Paisley and Girardin on the National Ringette League’s Manitoba Herd.

“Adjusting to centre was a nice surprise, (a) good change,” said Kavvadas. “I was up to the challenge of learning a different position that I haven’t played at at this high competition level, yet.”

Ferguson is confident the U22 squad can handle the Finns.

“It’s tough,” said Ferguson. “I mean, you’re obviously playing in front of their fans, their rink and their noise but we’ve done it before and we can do it again.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14