EDMONTON -- Fresh off her second Olympic gold medal and a practice with the NHLs Edmonton Oilers, goaltender Shannon Szabados will join the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League next week. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . The Cottonmouths announced Friday the team intended to sign the Edmonton goalie. Szabados would be the first female to play in the 10-team SPHL since its formation 10 years ago, the team said. Its been an eventful two weeks for Szabados, who backstopped the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold Feb. 20 in Sochi. "When I got home from Sochi, I thought Id be hanging my stuff up for the summer, but definitely excited to get over there," Szabados told The Canadian Press. "Theres three guys that I played college with that play on this team in Columbus and theyve been bugging me for a couple of years to go there." "I had never talked to their head coach and he called me yesterday. Honestly, I thought he was calling to ask me if I would want to go there next year. It happened a little fast, but Im excited." Szabados made 27 saves in Canadas 3-2 thrilling overtime win over the U.S. to defend the gold in Sochi. She posted a 28-save shutout over the Americans in the womens Olympic hockey final in 2010. But the 27-year-old has spent the majority of her hockey career in mens leagues. She played for Sherwood Park, Bonneyville and Fort Saskatchewan during her four years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Szabados was named the AJHLs top goaltender in 2006-07 after helping Fort Saskatchewan to a league-best record of 45-11-0-4. She then spent five years in Alberta mens college hockey with Grant MacEwen and then NAIT. She set a league record in 2012-13 for the lowest goals-against average (1.58) and her NAIT Ooks won their first championship in 16 years. Szabados stopped 30 of 31 shots in the final game. Cottonmouths captain Kyle Johnson, forward Jordan Draper and defenceman Andy Willigar are her former NAIT teammates. She suspects they paved her road to her first pro tryout. "Probably the guys had a lot to do with it," Szabados said. "It probably made the coach feel a little more at ease with the situation." Szabados will head to Columbus on Wednesday and will be introduced at a news conference the following day prior to a game at home against the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Winnipegs Andrew Loewen is the starting goaltender for the Cottonmouths "I am very excited to get a world-class athlete that has competed and has faced, high-pressured situations," Cottonmouths head coach Jerome Bechard said in a statement. "She won a championship with NAIT last year alongside Andy Willigar and Jordan Draper so I know she can compete at this level," Bechard said. "We are working on her immigration, and we are looking to sign her officially Thursday, where she will be backing up Loewen. "She will play when she feels comfortable and situated." The Cottonmouths are 23-22-3 and rank seventh in the league. Szabados participated in an Edmonton Oilers practice Wednesday. The Oilers were short a goalie on trade deadline day awaiting the arrival of Viktor Fasth from Anaheim. Szabados is grateful for that practice now because its the only time shes been on the ice since winning Olympic gold Feb. 20. "I havent been in the gym, I havent been on the ice, I havent been sleeping well," Szabados confessed. "Its been a whirlwind. I told (the coach) Im not going to rush into anything. If I dont feel comfortable I might not even play at all this year. "I want to go there and get on the ice and see how I feel. I still have to unpack from Sochi and pack for this. Im not too worried. Its only been two weeks." No woman has ever played in an NHL regular-season game. Goaltender Manon Rheaume became the first to play in an exhibition game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. Canadian womens star Hayley Wickenheiser has played as a forward in mens leagues in Finland and Sweden. The SPHL also includes the Bloomington Thunder, Fayetteville FireAntz, Huntsville Havoc, Knoxville IceBears, Louisiana IceGators, Mississippi RiverKings, Mississippi Surge and Peoria Rivermen. Szabados is accustomed to joining male teams. She believes her former Ook teammates will help her settle into the Cottonmouths locker room. "With having those three guys that Ive played with and since this has happened, at least a handful have tweeted at me and reached out to me," she said. "The older Ive gotten, the easier the transition has been to a new team. Im honestly not worried at all. They seem like a good group of guys." Fake Soccer Jerseys . Browns owner Jimmy Haslam announced the move with Young on Monday during a speech at a Pro Football Hall of Fame luncheon. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ .com) - Roosevelt Jones had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead No.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hi Kerry, Im sure youre getting a ton of emails about the goal at the end of the Carolina-Toronto game on Thursday night but I noticed something that most of the stories and comments on the play seem to be missing. Looking at the replays it appeared as if the linesman waives off icing when Bernier went out to play the puck and before a player for either team made it to the face-off dots, therefore hybrid icing didnt matter at all on this play. Can you tell me if Im correct in this observation? Thanks for your insight. Peter AshtonToronto, ON Peter: You raise an excellent point given the fact that Leafs replacement goalie Jonathan Bernier did make an attempt to play the puck as it caromed off the end boards toward his goal crease. Berniers attempt to play the puck was sufficient reason, as per rule 81.3, for linesman Don Henderson to waive off the goal. This wasnt the exclusive reason, however. The hybrid icing rule kicked in even though Radek Dvorak had not quite made it to the finish line in the race to the hash marks. These two factors caused double-jeopardy for the Leafs in nullifying a potential icing on the play, allowing Bernier to deflect the puck into his own net. Kinks in the new hybrid icing rule are still being worked out for both the linesmen and players at this point and as unusual, situations occur like the one in last nights game. For our understanding, there are unique situations when the linesmen are required to make a quick split-second judgment as to which player will gain the hash marks first (within a stride) given player speed, momentum, direction and proximity to the puck. One such situation is when the puck has the potentiaal to rebound off the back boards, thereby becoming available and playable ahead of the goal line/in front of the net. Clearance Soccer Jerseys. This enhances urgency for the linesman to render and communicate his call. A swift decision by the linesmen would enable the goalkeeper to either play the puck or remain in his net should icing result. Similarly to a referees "intent" to blow the whistle there is always a slight delay between the brain receiving a visual picture, processing the information to make a judgment and then transmitting that signal to the motor senses for a response. The end result of this process would be for the linesman to either wave the play good or blow his whistle and then raise an arm for icing. On all counts, linesman Don Henderson made the correct judgment given the flood of information that he received in the same instant on this play. Radek Dvorak was in the lead lane when he blew past Cody Franson, as the Leafs defenceman was turning from backward to forward skating posture. Dvorak clearly had the speed, momentum, closest proximity to the puck and lead position on Morgan Rielly as they were just about to cross the hash marks. Linesman Don Henderson factored all of these criteria in his determination to wave off icing combined with the fact that in the same instant Bernier made a play on the puck. In the footage available on TSN SPORTSCENTRE, we see linesman Hendersons arms still extended in the wave with Dvorak well past the hash marks and Rielly trailing. It will certainly take some time for everyone to adjust to this new rule. Radek Dvorak demonstrated the "safe" competition created by this new icing rule in his race for the finish line. Perhaps Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said it best; "The number one thing is never give up on the puck." ' ' '