CALGARY, Alberta - Junior forward Christine Bestland and sophomore forward Shelby Bram of the Mercyhurst University women's hockey team are two of forty players invited to Canada's National Women's Under-22/Development Team selection camp, taking place August 2 through August 13 at the WinSport Canada Athletic and Ice Complex in Calgary, Alberta.

Invitations were based on fitness testing conducted at Canada's National Women's Program strength and conditioning camp held in Toronto, Ontario, in May, as well as evaluations by Hockey Canada scouts during the 2011-12 season, including past performances within the national program, with their club teams, and at provincial and national championships with Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The 40 players will be split into two teams, Blue and Yellow, and will participate in several practices and intersquad games during the selection camp. It will be held in conjunction with Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team selection camp, which will split another 40 players into two teams, Red and White, for practices and intersquad games.

A native of Brunkild, Manitoba, Bestland is coming off a career-best 58 points (24 goals, 34 assists) during the 2011-12 season at Mercyhurst. Her 24 goals last year placed her third on the team, behind Kelley Steadman's 33 and Bailey Bram's 27, while her 34 assists also ranked third behind Bram's 41 and Jess Jones' 35.  In just two seasons with the Lakers, Bestland has reached the century mark in points, picking up her 100th career point with an assist in the CHA title game against Robert Morris. She has 42 goals and 58 assists in just 69 games in her first two seasons.

Meanwhile, Shelby Bram, who hails from Ste. Anne, Manitoba had a fine rookie season with the Lakers in 2011-12. She finished tied for sixth on the team in scoring with seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points. Her 21 points were second among Laker rookies, trailing only freshman defender Molly Byrne's 34 points. Her seven goals, however, led all Mercyhurst freshmen last season.

From the selection camp, Hockey Canada will choose 22 players for a three-game series against the United States' Women's Under-22 Select Team, scheduled for August 14 through August 19 in Calgary. Following the series, Hockey Canada scouts, along with the team's coaching staff, will continue to evaluate players with their club teams during the 2012-13 season, in preparation for selecting the Canadian team that will compete at the 2013 Meco Cup next January in Germany. Canada has won the tournament eight times in 10 years, losing just four games.