WINNIPEG – Hockey Manitoba is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Woods of Winnipeg as Head Coach of the Team Manitoba female hockey team that will compete at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, YT. Joining Woods are Assistant Coaches Laura Solberg and Lainie Wintrup, both of Winnipeg.

Woods brings with him an extensive coaching background including five years in the late nineties as Coach and General Manager of the Great Britain Men’s National Team. Most recently Woods was an Assistant Coach with the Team Manitoba squad that captured fourth at the 2005 National Women’s Under-18 Championships in Salmon Arm, BC this past November.

Solberg has spent the past two seasons as Head Coach of the St. Adolphe Hawks of the Winnipeg Female Midget AA League. She also brings with her experience at the Canada Games level, having acted as an Assistant Coach for Team Manitoba at the 1999 Games in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland.

Wintrup is in her first season as Head Coach of the Chatham Cougars. Chatham College is an NCAA Division III squad based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Chatham, Wintrup spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach with the University of Maine Blackbears.

The first step in the evaluation process for players is made up of regional camps beginning in early February. Players selected from those camps move onto Hockey Manitoba’s Spring Program of Excellence Camp at the Max Bell Centre in Winnipeg April 21-23, 2006. The final step in the process is Hockey Manitoba’s Summer Camp, held in Brandon from June 23-25, 2006. The 2007 Canada Winter Games are scheduled for February 24 – March 10, 2007 in Whitehorse, YT.

For further information, please contact Stephen Sisson at the Hockey Manitoba office (204) 925-5762.