Skate Canada sends six skaters to Ondrej Nepela Trophy

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have four entries, for a total of six skaters at the 23^rd annual Ondrej Nepela Trophy, the third event on the 2015 ISU Challenger Series. Canada will have one entry in each discipline (men’s, ladies, pair, ice dance) at the competition which runs from September 30 – October 4, 2015 at the Ondrej Nepela Ice Rink in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ladies. Daleman will be competing at this event for the first time. Last season she placed fifth at the Cup of China, sixth at the NHK Trophy, seventh at the Four Continents Championships, and 21^st at the World Championships. Daleman is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club.

Keegan Messing, 23, Girdwood, Alaska, USA, will represent Canada in men’s. This will be his first international assignment representing Canada. Last season, Messing placed fifth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The representative of Sherwood Park FSC is coached by Ralph Burghart at in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 31, Toronto, Ont., will be Canada’s pair entry. Last season, their first season competing together, the representatives of the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club won gold at the Warsaw Cup, silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, placed sixth at the Four Continents Championships, and 13^th at the World Championships. Ilyusheshkina and Moscovitch are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson.

Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont., will represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their first time competing at this event. Last season, they won silver at Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard, placed fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Final, fourth at the Four Continents Championships and sixth at the World Championships. The representatives of Scarboro FSC are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Louis Stong of Etobicoke, Ont., will be the Canadian team leader. Physiotherapist Josiane Roberge of Sillery, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., and Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org or the official event website.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 23^rd ANNUAL ONDREJ NEPELA TROPHY