Fraser Valley Avalanche announces 2009-2010 roster
September 18, 2009, Langley - Bill Bettles, owner of the Fraser Valley Avalanche ringette team has officially announced his team’s roster for the 2009-2010 season. The athletes, hailing from eleven municipalities from Squamish to Chilliwack, will play in the Western division of the National Ringette League where they will face some of the top ringette teams and athletes in Canada.
“Coaches Wakefield and Egan have selected a great bunch of athletes for our inaugural year. We have an impressive combination of experience and young talent going into the season” stated Bettles.
The Avalanche’s experience will come from eight-time national champion, world champion, and world club champion, Jennifer Wakefield. Wakefield, captain of the Canadian national team, comes to the Avalanche from the reigning NRL and world club champions: the Cambridge Turbos. Also impressive is the winning record of Edmonton native Jill Lange. A member of Team Canada since 2004 and a current employee of VANOC, Lange has six national ringette titles under her belt. Abbotsford’s Michelle Peters, assistant softball coach at Simon Fraser University and former elite hockey player, joins her sister and former national ringette team netminder Shannon Anderson on the ice. Other experienced athletes on the team are Kim Bailey of Langley who has played and coached ringette for 18 years, longshoreman Julia Scigliano of Burnaby and stellar defensemen Sarah Butterworth and Samantha Crowe both formerly of the BC Reign.
Up-and-comers include Brandy Leitz of Delta who was nominated for NRL rookie of the year and was the lead scorer on the BC Reign last year. Cassie Shier, member of the U19 National Team West, won the Premier’s athletic award for ringette in 2008. Amanda Pukalo and Jamie Matusiak both competed at the 2009 Canada Winter Games for BC and are elite softball players as is Dani Brassington, a student at SFU, who has a black belt in tae-kwon-do. Joey Krygier joins the team from the Lac St. Louis Elite ringette team in Montreal, Langley’s Danielle Krusel is a national bronze medalist and all-star and goaltender Shannon Peek from Squamish rounds out the roster.
Watch the Avalanche hit the ice at their home opener in Langley against Winnipeg October 24th and 25th.
Fraser Valley Avalanche athletes:
Shannon Anderson (Chilliwack), Kim Bailey (Langley), Dani Brassington (North Vancouver), Sarah Butterworth (Burnaby), Samantha Crowe (Port Coquitlam), Danielle Krusel (Langley), Joey Krygier (Vancouver), Jill Lange (Vancouver), Brandy Lietz (Delta), Jamie Matusiak (White Rock), Shannon Peek (Squamish), Michelle Peters (Abbotsford), Amanda Pukalo (Richmond), Julia Scigliano (Burnaby), Cassie Shier (Vancouver) and Jennifer Wakefield (Langley).
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Information:
Shannon Anderson, media liason
604-787-4329
