PRIESTMAN SETS CANADA ROSTER FOR INVITATIONAL
Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman has named an 18-player roster for a camp in advance of the Shebelieves Cup, with reinforcements expected to arrive once the FIFA international window opens.
The camp runs from Feb. 8-12, with Priestman slated to announce her tournament roster ahead of Canada’s opening match Feb. 16 against the top-ranked U.S. in Orlando.
The sixth-ranked Canadians then play No. 9 Brazil on Feb. 19 in Nashville and No. 11 Japan on Feb. 22 in Texas.
The camp roster predominantly features players from out-of-season leagues like the National Women’s Soccer League and Sweden’s Damallsvenskan.
It does not include such English-based players as goalkeeper Sabrina D’angelo (Arsenal), defenders Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea) and Shelina Zadorsky (Tottenham), midfielder Jessie Fleming (Chelsea) and striker Adriana Leon (Manchester United) or France-based fullback/midfielder Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-germain). This is Canada’s second trip to the tournament.
Priestman and the Canadian women are preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Canada plays No. 45 Nigeria on July 21 in Melbourne before facing No. 23 Ireland on July 26 in Perth and No. 12 Australia on July 31 back in Melbourne.
Top-seed Bianca Andreescu advanced to the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open tennis tournament with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova on Thursday.
Andreescu, the world No. 42, had four aces while allowing none, and was perfect on four break-point chances in her first WTA Tour match against Zakharova.
Andreescu will next face fifth seed Marta Kostyuk.
It will be the first career meeting between Andreescu and the Ukrainian, who is ranked 60th in the world.
Two-time world champion David Murdoch has been named Curling Canada’s new high-performance director.
Murdoch will officially take on his new duties at the end of this season.
The 44-year-old plans to move to Canada after completing his duties as national and Olympic coach for British Curling, a role he has held for more than four years.
Murdoch skipped Scotland to world titles in 2006 and 2009. He also skipped Britain to a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin was named to the NHL All-star Game on Thursday, replacing injured teammate Tage Thompson.
It’s the second all-star game appearance for Dahlin, who was selected last year.
Thompson left Wednesday night’s 5-1 loss to Carolina after sustaining an upper-body injury.
The extent of his injury has not been announced.
Dahlin, 22, ranks second among defencemen in goals (14) and points (55) in the NHL this season, both of which are career highs..