Women's hockey championship tourney at Lawson
March 15, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- The best women's collegiate club hockey in Michigan can be seen on the ice at Lawson Arena March 22-24 when Western Michigan University plays host to the CCWHA Championship Tournament. Admission is free to all three days of the competition.
In addition to WMU's Mustang women's club team, Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association member schools are Lake Superior State, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Michigan and Oakland University. All six teams will compete each day of the tournament, including the championship-round contests on Sunday, March 24.
WMU will play Michigan State on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the Mustangs meet the Michigan Wolverines beginning at 9:50 a.m. and play Northern Michigan beginning at 8:40 p.m. The complete schedule of tournament matches and activities is listed below.
On Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., Manon Rheaume will meet informally with players and fans to talk about the growth of women's ice hockey. A goaltender, Rheaume is the "First Woman of Hockey." She was the first woman to play in a men's professional hockey match, the first woman to sign a a professional hockey contract, and is still the only woman ever to play in an NHL contest. On Sept. 23, 1992, Rheaume made sports history, becoming the first women to play in any of the four major sports leagues in the United States. She goaltended for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League in a pre-season contest versus the St. Louis Blues. Rheaume was also a silver medalist for the Canadian women's hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Also scheduled during the three-day tournament are a "Women's Ice Hockey Expo" sponsored by Hockey Services of Kalamazoo and a girls skills clinic. Representatives from a variety of hockey equipment manufacturers will be present at the expo.
On Feb. 1, the Mustangs shattered the CCWHA attendance record, drawing a crowd of 1,810 fans to Lawson Ice Arena in a 2-0 loss to Michigan State.
CCWHA Championship Tournament
Lawson Ice Arena
Western Michigan University
Friday, March 22
5:00 p.m. Michigan State vs. WMU Mustangs 6:50 p.m. Lake Superior State vs. Oakland 8:40 p.m. Michigan vs. Northern Michigan
Saturday, March 23
8:00 a.m. Oakland vs. Michigan State 9:50 a.m. WMU Mustangs vs. Michigan 11:40 a.m. Northern Michigan vs. Lake Superior State 1:30 p.m. All Star Showcase #1 2:40 p.m. All Star Showcase #2 3:50 p.m. Open Skate 5:00 p.m. Michigan vs. Oakland 6:50 p.m. Michigan State vs. Lake Superior State 8:40 p.m. WMU Mustangs vs. Northern Michigan
Sunday, March 24
8:00 a.m. Girls Skills Clinic 9:40 a.m. Consolation 5th-6th Place Match 11:45 a.m. Consolation 3rd-4th Place Match 1:50 p.m. Championship Match
Media contact: Thom Myers, 269 387-8400, thomas.myers@wmich.edu