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The North American and Canadian Women’s Hockey teams are the top 2 in the world, and the rivalry between them is long-standing and intense. Canada took the gold medal home at the 2014 Winter Five Ring Circus in Russia, but will they do the same in South Korea come 2018?
Both sides have performed well and are looking strong. They went head to head in their first pre-Olympic meeting on Sunday 22 October in Quebec, and America defeated the home team 5-2.
The pre-Olympic series of meets always fans the flames of the rivalry between Team Canada and Team America, so the Canadians are no doubt champing at the bit to go against the Yanks again. They’ll get that chance as soon as Wednesday 25 October, when the teams go against each other again in Boston’s Agganis Arena.
There will be at least 7 pre-Olympic matches as both sides get themselves as ready as possible for the Games in South Korea’s Pyeongchang County in February.
It also seems likely that there will be an 8th meeting; experts and insiders are expecting them to clash in the final of Four Nations Cup in Wesley Chapel, Florida, in November 2017. Fans and anyone else watching, especially anyone who is indulging in land-based or online betting on the games, are in for a thrilling ride.
The Women’s Hockey side of the United States of America has arguably never been stronger. They’ve certainly never been more united, as they continue to ride high on the success of their equality campaign staged earlier in 2017.
It would be easy to understand that, after the long battle for more parity with USA Hockey, the women who fought the good fight would be so drained that their performance on the ice was affected.
This has not been the case, however; 3 days after the favourable agreements with USA Hockey were concluded, the side took their 4th consecutive gold medal at the World Championships held in Plymouth, Michigan. As they work towards South Korea from their base camp in Florida, things are looking good.
Hockey is, without a doubt, the national sport of Canada, just like gambling is the preferred national pastime of many.
In a way, the fans in this country are even more frenzied than those of their southern neighbour and rival, because there is not as much excitement over Basketball and other sports as there is in the United States.
Having said that, it was the Canadian team that lost to America in the World Championships.
There are some exceptional players on Team Canada, including old hands such as Shannon Szabados and new talent like current Patty Kazmaier Award-winner Anne-Renee Desbiens, so coach Laura Schuler still stands a good chance of producing a gold medallist team.
In women’s Hockey around the world, anyone who is selected to play in the Olympics must spend a full year training with the team for the Games.
With so much having gone into the preparation and so much still going in, we need to see more of how both sides are performing before reaching any conclusions.
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