Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 4 april 2017
Females are facing an off-ice fight at all levels of hockey

LARRY LAGE ganization based in Sault limited options. They can about 13. In the same week that
AP Hockey Writer Ste. Marie, Michigan, par- drive 2-plus hours, each “The rule hasn’t gone into USA Hockey gave in to
PLYMOUTH, Michigan (AP) ticipated in the state’s Tier way, to join a 12U team in effect yet and we want to demands from its top-cal-
— The best women’s hock- II 14-and-under tourna- Kalkaska, Michigan; play see what’s going to hap- iber women, females in
ey players in the U.S. can ment with just 11 girls that with 12U boys in their area; pen,” Wright said in a tele- the sport had a setback
now make a living playing were mostly from Canada participate in house hock- phone interview Saturday when the University of
the sport they love thanks and 12 years old or young- ey with girls just learning night. North Dakota eliminated
to a landmark agreement er. Beginning next season a how to skate; or quit play- “We think more good its women’s hockey team.
with USA Hockey reached Eight players from the pro-
after a threat to boycott gram represented three
the world championship. countries in the 2014 Olym-
The deal will likely help their pics, including Monique
counterparts north of the Lamoureux-Morando, who
border make more mon- plays defense for the U.S.
ey in their next Olympic Lamoureux-Morando, who
agreement with Hockey was a volunteer assistant
Canada. coach for the program last
Even those who will ben- season, said players on the
efit, though, acknowledge team found out about the
the off-ice fight isn’t over. decision on Twitter.
At every level of female “To have that happen and
hockey, from pre-teen girls then the way in which they
to college to post-gradu- found out that their team
ate players, there are ob- was cut is just in my opin-
stacles. ion very unacceptable,”
“Women’s hockey has Lamoureux-Morando said.
come a long way with the At the next level of wom-
amount of teams that are en’s hockey, a professional
popping up and support league in Canada and an-
and visibility,” said Meghan other in the U.S. are trying
Duggan, captain of the to make it independently.
Americans’ team playing At least some women who
in the world championship. play for both leagues wish
“I think it has a long way the five-team Canadian
to go, and I’m excited to United States goalie Nicole Nensley looks skyward after the team defeated Canada 2-0 in a IIHF Women’s Hockey League
push it ahead. Women’s World Championship hockey tournament game, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Plymouth, would merge with the four-
I’m certainly proud to be Mich. team National Women’s
someone standing up for Associated Press Hockey League to be-
women’s hockey and re- come one.
ally trying to get it to move USA Hockey rule states, no ing the sport. than bad will come up this, That might help
forward. I look forward player 12 years or younger “It’s heartbreaking to tell but we’ll review this over the sport gain support from
to see how far women’s is eligible to play on a team the girls I don’t know what time and we’ll see how it the NHL, which could po-
hockey is going go.” intending or declared to our team will look like next changes the landscape of tentially financially back
In a border town about compete in district or na- year,” McCormick said. the game.” the best women in the
300 miles north of suburban tional championships. Kristen Wright, USA Hock- Given the chance to com- game as the NBA does
Detroit, a new USA Hockey Malory McCormick, who ey’s manager of girls’ play- ment on this story with a with the WNBA. The CWHL
rule appears to be having coached the Lakers at this er development, said the conversation or email, pays players with perfor-
unintended consequenc- year’s tournament, said new rule was put in place Michigan Amateur Hock- mance and playoff bonus-
es for girls trying to find their the girls on her team that for safety and develop- ey Association President es and hasn’t delivered on
stride. are not old enough to play ment reasons because girls George Atkinson repeat- a promise to give them a
The Soo Lady Lakers, an or- 14U hockey next year have usually hit a growth spurt at edly declined on Sunday. salary. q

IAAF says it has been hacked, athlete medical info accessed

MONACO (AP) — The gov- athletes to take substanc- The IAAF said it had been sion,” the company said. could to put new systems
erning body of track and es that would normally be in contact with athletes “Throughout the investiga- in place,” Coe said. “The
field has been hacked by banned, and are used by who have applied for TUEs tion, the IAAF have under- athletes had the right to
Fancy Bears, the group athletes around the world. since 2012. stood the importance and expect that information
that previously attacked “Our first priority is to the Context Information Secu- impact of the attack and given to us to be securely
the World Anti-Doping athletes who have pro- rity, a British security com- have provided us compre- housed. Unfortunately, it’s
Agency. vided the IAAF with infor- pany, said in a statement hensive assistance.” not the first time. Other or-
The IAAF said Monday it mation that they believed released by the IAAF that it Coe, speaking in Aarhus, ganizations have been the
believes the hack “has would be secure and con- discovered the attack. Denmark, ahead of a con- subject of this and we do
compromised athletes’ fidential,” IAAF President “In January 2017, the IAAF ference of global Olym- of course deplore that, but
Therapeutic Use Exemp- Sebastian Coe said in a contacted Context Infor- pic sports officials, said the it was very important that
tion (TUE) applications statement. “They have our mation Security to con- IAAF is using the “world’s we discussed that with the
stored on IAAF servers” sincerest apologies and duct a proactive and best people” to make the athletes.” WADA has pre-
during an unauthorized re- our total commitment to thorough technical inves- organization’s computers viously said Fancy Bears
mote access to its network continue to do everything tigation across its systems, safe. originate from Russia, cit-
on Feb. 21. in our power to remedy which led to the discovery “We have now done ing information from law
TUEs are permissions for the situation.” of a sophisticated intru- everything we possibly enforcement agencies.q