Weyburn and area residents will witness Olympic-calibre hockey on Friday, March 11, as the top two women's hockey teams in both Canada and the U.S. face off at the Colosseum at 7 p.m.

The match-up is part of a six-game tournament entitled the X-Treme Women's Hockey Challenge.

The tournament pits the Oval X-Treme team out of Calgary, Alta., against the U.S. Selects team from Boston, Mass. Both teams boast many players from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Canada narrowly defeated the U.S. for a gold medal.

For example, the Oval X-Treme team includes notable veterans like Hayley Wickenheiser, Colleen Sostrorics, Cassie Campbell, Dana Antal, Danielle Goyette, Lori Dupuis and Sedley's Kelly Bechard.

Besides the Olympics, the two squads also faced off at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in the fall of 2004. Canada also defeated the U.S. team in that tournament.

Weyburn will be hosting Game 4 of the series. The first three games will be held in Strathmore, Drumheller and Ponoka, Alta. The final two games will be held on March 12-13 in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Fernie, B.C.

The team with the most victories out of the six-game series will be pronounced champions of the X-Treme Challenge Cup upon its conclusion in Fernie.

"This is the biggest thing since the Olympics for our team," said Kathy Berg, director of the female high performance hockey program at the Olympic Oval in Calgary. "The competition will be fierce, as there is a heated rivalry between these two teams. Weyburn is in for a real treat."

The city of Weyburn is serving as the site for one of these six games because EnCana Corporation is the event's major sponsor, and the company has a strong presence in Weyburn with the CO2 miscible flood project.

Proceeds from the game will benefit the Family Place in Weyburn.

"It will be a heated battle and a great opportunity for Weyburn and surrounding residents to see some great hockey and to support an organization that is so integral to our community," said Dave Craigen, operator and spokesperson for EnCana.

Tickets for this event are $10 for all ages, and will be available through the Weyburn Pharmasave.