Defense player Cheryl Pounder won a gold medal at the 1994 World Championships with the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team, but found herself cut from the squad prior to the 1997 World Championships and the 1998 Winter Olympics. From 1995 until 1999, however, she skated with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks of Sir Wilfrid Laurier University, winning the league Rookie of the Year Award in 1996 and an MVP honor in 1998. After graduating with a degree in kinesiology she rejoined Team Canada and won more gold medals at the 1999, 2000, and 2001 World Championships. She was also selected to help represent Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where she suited up for five matches and took home another gold medal.
World Championships in 2004 and 2005 brought Pounder gold and silver medals respectively, and she was victorious again at the 2006 Winter Olympics, playing in five games and scoring two goals. She was also affiliated with the Toronto Aeros of the National Women’s Hockey League prior to taking some personal time from Team Canada in 2007 and, eventually, retiring. She also represented Ontario at the Canadian National Championships and was voted top defense player at the 2002, 2004, and 2007 editions, as well as MVP in 2005. As of 2009 she worked primarily as a motivational speaker, although she also had a stint as the assistant coach to the women’s hockey team at Wilfrid Laurier.
Canada