NATIONAL BALL HOCKEY
ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

TORONTO – December 17 – The Women’s Team Canada’s goal is to have a program that not only produces elite ball hockey players but also creates a culture that clearly defines what it means to play for Team Canada. We want to ensure that involvement with Women’s Team Canada creates a life experience so these athletes can assist in furthering the development of the game within their home centers. We also want to have these athletes to have the opportunity to continue to compete and represent Canada for years to come. It provides a solid bridge between the provincial, national and international programs to compete at the World Ball Hockey Federation (WBHF) Championships.

The World Ball Hockey Championships for the women’s division are held every two years (odd years) in various regions. The events are hosted in the month of May or June and for 2015 the men’s and women’s divisions will be hosted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) has recently named, Ms. Natalie Spooner as the Global Ambassador for the Women’s Team Canada program. Our ambassador has experienced the power of sport, and its ability to build essential life skills such as self-esteem, discipline, fair play, respect and teamwork.

A little about our Ambassador:  Natalie was born in Toronto. Her parents moved from England and the Spooner’s had sought out a sport for their three sons that was fun included good exercise and taught teamwork and commitment. Hockey fit perfectly and her parents had become experts in driving to local rinks and backyard rink construction. It was on this backyard rink, and in the family driveway, that Natalie first discovered her passion and began to hone her own hockey skills.

Natalie began to play organized hockey at age four playing one year of boy’s hockey before switching to the Durham West Lightning Girls Hockey Association where she played for the next twelve seasons.   After high school she had over 30 scholarship offers and selected, The Ohio State University and joined the Buckeyes in 2008.  She holds the all-time school goal scoring record and was named an All-American, All-WCHA First Team and was a Patty Kazmaier finalist (for the top player in NCAA Division 1 Women’s Ice Hockey).

Throughout her career Natalie has always sought further development beginning with hockey school, Team Ontario and eventually Team Canada. She was the first player to compete for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, the National Women’s Under-22 and the National Women’s Team successfully moving through all levels of the Hockey Canada’s Women’s Development Program.  She was also a member of the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Championship team, 2007 Ontario Ball Hockey Association Women’s ‘A’ Provincial Ball Hockey Champions with the Oshawa Stampede and won the 2009 World Championships in ball hockey!

In 2012, Natalie was selected in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League draft to her home town team, the Toronto Furies where continues her pursuit for championships and her pursuit of the Clarkson Cup and to grow the CWHL in her home town.

Outside of hockey Natalie is an avid volunteer, having served on the Hockey Canada Women’s High Performance Advisory Committee and on the Ohio State Student-Athlete Relations Committee.  She has also supported the Toronto 2012 Ontario Summer Games where she was the co-ordinator for the Boys U14 and Girls U18 Ontario Ball Hockey Association divisions of competition, the Playing for Keeps program, the Race for the Cure and local Community Kitchens.

She was on Team Canada that won gold at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and recently competed on Amazing Race Canada and finished second among the teams and recently played for Team Canada at the Four Nations Hockey Championships where the team won the gold medal after a shoot out versus the United States of America.

For players interested in the WTC Program, players are encouraged to qualify for their provincial team(s) competing at the Nationals, because a player's ability is more effectively measured against the best competition available.

If you would like a chance to play for Team Canada, you must: play in a NBHAC member league be selected to compete at your provincial championships or national qualifying tournament ideally, be selected to compete for your province at the National Championships.  For more information on the WTC program, please send an email to Steve Rumsey, President at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ball Hockey…..IT IS OUR GAME!!

TORONTO – December 15 –The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) in conjunction with the High Performance Committee is pleased to announce the roster for the Women’s Team Canada that will attempt to retain the gold they won in 2013.   The 2015 World Ball Hockey Federation (WBHF) Championships will be hosted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in May 24-31, 2015. 

For the 17 players named today, eleven are returning from the World Champion­ship team in 2013.  These players with international experience know what it takes to play and compete at this level and there is a good blend of veterans and mix of youth and again the team was selected , not just on high calibre skills, but for their personalities and community backgrounds as well.

High Performance Director, Steve Dockerty, who was heavily responsible for the restructuring which took place in the international program stated, “with the composition of this team the staff is not only looking to 2013, but beyond with the young players who will be our leaders of tomorrow.  We want players that will be part of the Team Canada family for years to come.’  The High Performance Program has been established to create continuity consisting of strong individuals across the country with involvement in the various national teams at the adult levels.

Dockerty continued about the coaching staff, Mario Facciuolo has won at every level of competition and moves up from the assistant coach position and we have brought in Irene Kiratzis who played for the program in 2013.   Both bring in a winning attitude at the Provincial, National and International level of play and have the experience and technical backgrounds to prepare this team.

Commenting on the goal of the 2015 teams Dockerty adds, “we have a Mission Statement - To prepare and assemble a team of ball hockey players from Canada to compete for gold at the WBHC. To field a team that sets extraor­dinary standards for competitiveness, sportsmanship and team continuity. To create a ‘life experience’ for members of WTC and officials.” Dockerty added, “that truly is our goal, to compete for gold, but also to set exceptional standards for the players and team officials.

Steve Rumsey NBHAC President who has been a part of ball hockey for over thirty years and attended the 2013 World Championship event as a fan said, ‘Ball Hockey is an amazing sport and the ultimate goal is to ensure each player has a life experience, memories and lifelong friends.’ 

“It is not only what will take place on the floor for these women, as most have played for Canada and have become a family” said Rumsey.

The association’s President, Steve Rumsey, was pleased with the scouting, selec­tion and acceptance of the players chosen for the club.

“On behalf of the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada, I would like to congratu­late the players and staff named today, along with their provincial associations, leagues, club teams, families, coaches and officials who have helped them along the way,” said Steve Rumsey, NBHAC President. With that said, it is with great pride that we present you the 2015 Women’s Team Canada players:

Goalies: Danielle Bailey & Laura Guiducci ~ Defense:  Tara French, Natasha King, Shannonn MacArthur, Annette Tonogai ~ Forwards: Gwynn Attenborough, Ashley Carney, Robyn Cordes, Samantha Curk, Annie Del Guidice, Natasha Fryer, Gabrielle Kosziwkai, Cassandra Langan, Melissa Miller, Vi Theofylatos, Lindsay Vine

The last three player selections as well as the balance of staff positions will be posted no later than January 15, 2015.

Your Passion…Your Dedication…Play Like A Champion…Play Like Team Canada…Commit To The Culture of Excellence….We Are Canada

 #wbhf2015pittsburgh #bethestandard #wethegame