Kimberly Newell of Burnaby was one of the lucky 13 under-22 development players named to the national women's hockey program three-game series.
Newell, who started in goal for the Princeton University women's varsity team as a freshman last year, was the youngest of the 13 players selected to join the 27 players currently part of the national program that will split into a Team Red-versus-White series to be held this week from Wednesday to Saturday at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.
The nine forwards, three defenders and one goalie were chosen following the national u-22 development camp in Calgary last week. The Burnaby Winter Club product was the youngest of four goalkeepers invited to the eight-day national women's under-22 development team selection camp last week.
Newell was also one of just two selected players, including blue-liner Halli Krzyzaniak of Manitoba, who helped Canada to the gold medal at the u-18 women's world championships in Finland earlier this year.
Newell was the lone B.C. player to be selected to the national program series. "We are confident the 13 players selected will represent themselves and Canada's national women's development team well in the three-game Red-White series this week," said program head coach Tim Bothwell in a Hockey Canada press release.
Burnaby defender Kaleigh Fratkin, currently playing on scholarship at Boston University, was one of the 40 players initially named to the u-22 development camp.
At the u-22 development camp, Newell allowed just one goal in the third of three intra-squad games, a 4-2 win for Team White last Saturday. She also stopped 15 of 17 shots on goal in an earlier 2-1 loss to Team Black on Aug. 13.
