Three members of the Cambridge Turbos ringette team have been recruited for Team Canada.
Tatum Allen of Kitchener, Ont., Katherine Shaughnessy of Cambridge and Erika Neubrand of Bornholm flew out to Helsinki, Finland on Wednesday.
Allen, who plays defence said the Finnish team is known for their more aggressive play.
“I’ve never really seen that [aggressive play] on the ice before. I’ve watched it a few times, but I’m interested to see how the team as a whole can kind of work around that too — toward our victory,” she said. “They’re passionate. I’m just excited to see how how that style of play kind of lines up with the Canadian style.”
Ringette is similar to ice hockey but is a non-contact winter sport where players pass and shoot a blue rubber ring across the ice, with straight sticks.
It’s always been my dream to get to this point.– Tatum Allen, Team Canada ringette player
Allen, who started playing ringette at age 5, said she has been preparing all her life for this moment.
“It’s always been my dream to get to this point,” she said. “We were scouted at the [Canadian Ringette Championships] that was in Calgary this past April. That’s when it all really hit me!”
Her mom, Patti Allen, said she’s excited for their first game, which will be against Finland on Nov. 3.
“It will be a sea of red and white Canada colours, with Canadian flags, jackets, hats and equipment bags,” she said in an email to CBC News.
Allen’s advice for young ringette players is to never give up.
“There have been teams that I have been cut from. There are girls that play on Team Canada, but they have not made teams that I’ve been on. There’s so many different pathways to make it,” she said. “Believing in yourself is the first and most important step to getting to where you want to be.”
She said her next goal is to make Canada proud — and take home a gold medal.
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