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Canada

KUALA LUMPUR: Canada's reigning Premier League champions University of British Columbia Hockey Club have been forced to play with a depleted squad against the Malaysian National Juniors.

The team, hoping to provide their players with top-level exposure in their defence of the league title, were not spared the effects of the tsunami that had devastated the coastal areas in the Indian Ocean including the island of Penang.

One of their more experienced player Tyler Regan had decided to go for a short holiday to the Phi Phi island in Thailand with his girlfriend before joining the team in Kuala Lumpur.

But the island was hit by the tsunami on Dec 26 and Tyler and his friend were among the many tourists who lost all their belongings.

Fortunately they survived the ordeal but were left with just what they were wearing. And a few days later their embassy officials in Thailand sent them back to Vancouver.

If that was not enough the team arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 28 and two days later their defender Aaron Guest came down with a slipped disc and had to be flown home as well.

Now the team have only 13 players and only one field player as a reserve. Two of the 13 players are goalkeepers.

The team have played three matches drawing one and losing two. They lost the opening match 1-8 to Ernst and Young and then managed to draw with them 1-1 in the second match. Yesterday they lost the first of the four matches against the National Juniors 2-7.

The team will play the Juniors today in their second match while the remaining ties are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

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