WINNIPEG, MB – The 3rd annual Female World Sport School Challenge (FWSSC), hosted by St. Mary’s Academy (SMA), takes place at the MTS Iceplex from March 12-15, 2015. Games begin at 9:30 AM on Thursday, March 12 and conclude with the Gold medal game on Sunday, March 15 at 1:30 PM.

This year’s eight-team tournament brings together Canadian female hockey teams from seven sport schools along with one AAA regional team. Sport school teams participating include two Winnipeg schools: defending champions Shaftesbury Hockey Academy and host St. Mary’s Academy. They are joined by the Banff Hockey Academy from Banff, AB, St. Francis Xavier High School from Edmonton, AB, Warner Hockey School from Warner, AB and two teams from Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna, BC. The Thunder Bay Queens are the AAA regional team joining the challenge this year.

The FWSSC is in its third year with ownership of the tournament transferred from Hockey Canada to St. Mary’s Academy this year. “Hockey Canada is a proud supporter of the Sport School Program and all coaches, athletes and volunteers involved. The FWSSC was started in 2012 as an initiative to bring together top Female Sport Schools in Canada and it is a wonderful achievement to watch it grow into its 3rd year. The players competing are the stars of tomorrow who will go on to play at the University level, raising the bar of female hockey and creating a fun experience for all attending,” says Mandi Duhamel, Hockey Canada’s Manager of Female Development. She goes on to say “St. Mary’s Academy has been an excellent host since the inaugural year and I have no doubt they will make the 2015 event a great success. Best of luck to all teams taking part in this year’s event.”

“The FWSSC is an important venue for elite female players to compete in front of scouts from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) post-secondary institutions,” says Larry Bumstead, Head Coach of the SMA Flames Prep team and FWSSC Steering Committee member.

Tickets for the tournament are available at the door of the MTS Iceplex. Tournament passes are $25 and individual game tickets are $5 (12 and under free).

In addition to exciting hockey action, the tournament also features a banquet at the Victoria Inn on Saturday, March 14 where Olympic Silver Medalist and SMA alumna, Janine Stephens (Hanson), is the keynote speaker. Master of ceremonies for the event is CBC Video Journalist and SMA alumna, Jill Coubrough. Tickets are $75 each and available from www.fwssc.ca.

For more information about the 2015 FWSSC, please visit www.fwssc.ca and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FWSSChallenge.

For all media inquiries and accreditation passes to the tournament, please contact SMA Communications Coordinator Gina Borkofski at gborkofski@stmarysacademy.mb.ca, 204-478-6046 (office) or 204-479-1766 (cell).