An Aurora-based girls hockey team is facing off against Team China on Sunday.
The Central York Girls Hockey Association U22 Panthers will be hosting the Chinese women’s national team for an exhibition game on Sunday, Jan. 26 as part of a tour of clubs the national team is doing throughout the area.
Panthers head coach Steve Dempsey said it was “fortuitous” timing — the team is in the middle of its regular season — but Dempsey had booked this weekend off to allow for the largely high school team members to study for exams.
Team captain Cheyenne Dageer said while it will be a challenge, balancing school and sports was part of the “life of a student-athlete.”
“We've always done this, like every year I've had exams during hockey, and not just me, but our whole team,” she said. “It's the life of a student-athlete. This isn't anything new. So, it'll be tough. It's not the best timing, but we'll all be fine. This is what we've done our whole lives.”
Dageer, 17, added it was an exciting opportunity for the team to showcase their talents against unfamiliar opposition.
“I don't even know what to expect,” she said. “I know they've played a couple of other teams in my league, but we've never played anyone at this level. I don't know any of them. I've never seen them play, so it is pretty scary. Obviously, the population differences are pretty big.”
The team is set to practise and study the tape on China on Wednesday, with Dempsey noting the team has been in the midst of a challenging stretch of games — the Panthers play in the Ontario Women's Hockey Association U22 Elite League.
“We've been entrenched in our league games the whole way through the planning process, and I haven't wanted to distract them from that,” he said.
Dempsey, who has experience coaching at international level with the New Zealand women’s national team, said it will a great opportunity for members of the team to be part of "an Olympic process," as the Chinese national team prepares for its bid to take part in the winter Olympics.
“Not too many student-athletes get to say that they were part of an Olympic process,” said Dempsey. “That's a pretty incredible thing when you think how the Olympics is such a rare event, only every four years and, and at some point in your sport career, to say that you're part of an Olympic process is a pretty incredible experience, I think for a lot of these players.”
“Things like this really gets a lot of eyes and ears on the female game, and it gets a lot more people aware of how good the game is and it's a great exposure opportunity for everyone," he added.
The game is Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Aurora Community Centre, Ford Arena, at 1 Community Centre Lane.
Puck drop is at 2:30 p.m. The game is free to attend and no registration is required.
