For the first time in six years, a Yukon squash team will face off against the rest of the country at the Canadian Team Masters Championships.

The three-day tournament gets underway today at The Vancouver Racquets Club in Vancouver.

The seven-person team is made up of female players Lori Muir, Terri Cairns and Shirley Chua, and male players Eng Khoon Chua, Eric Bardin, Chris Toleman and Jim Gilpin.

The Yukon team has been ranked eighth in the eight-team tournament, and will battle to get out of the B pool. Each player is guaranteed five matches.

"Based on population, it's a reasonable assumption,” Gilpin said of the ranking.

"We know where we fit. We'll represent the territory to the best of our ability.”

"We'll try to prove them wrong,” added Khoon Chua, Squash Yukon's head coach and top-ranked player.

The Yukon will face Alberta and British Columbia 1 in pool play, before taking on Quebec tomorrow. A crossover and consolation playoff will follow.

The championship sees players enter by age category. Cairns falls into the 40-plus category, while Muir and Shirley Chua will battle in the 45-plus age group.

On the men's side, Bardin will play in the 40-plus age group, Gilpin 45-plus, Khoon Chua 50-plus, and Toleman 55-plus.

Toleman, the current president of Squash Yukon, said the Masters championship is special because it is both a team event, and social outing.

"Because it's Masters, many of these athletes have been playing for 30 to 40 years,” he said. "So they're fairly competitive. Some top-ranked Canadian players will be there.”

Toleman said to his knowledge, the Yukon will be the only team participating in the tournament without a player ranked nationally.

"For us, it's a lot of fun, and about us supporting Squash Canada,” he said.

Toleman added that the Yukon's female players may turn some heads at the tournament.

"I just want to play,” said Muir. "I just want to go and play my best squash. I'm passionate about the game.”

In total, 56 players from across the country will be competing for the national title.

Ontario is ranked No. 1, followed by Alberta.

Whitehorse hosted the Masters championships in 2003.

In local Division 1 squash action Tuesday night:

Pizza Hut 20, EBA 8

Brian Healey (sub) beat Kealan Campbell 3-0 (16-14, 15-5, 15-11); Stephen

Buckler beat Shahid Syed (sub) 3-0 (24-22, 19-17, 17-15); Lori Muir beat Glenn

Rudman 3-1 (14-16, 15-13, 15-9, 15-8); and Tyler Nesgaard lost to Stephen

Grundmanis 2-3 (12-15, 15-12, 15-8, 10-15, 13-15).

Outside the Cube 23, MEADIAsolutions 3

Taylor Love beat Clayton Penner 3-0 (default); Dylan Detang (sub) beat Trevor

Mead-Robins 3-0 (15-8, 15-7, 15-5); Chris Toleman beat Ehsan Idrees 3-0 (15-6, 15-8, 15-9); and Mustafa Syed (sub) beat Kyle Marchuk 3-0 (15-13, 16-14, 15-11).

Assante 18, Yukon Tree Services 14

Chris Ziegler beat Rob Luxemburger 3-0 (default); Gabriel Stetkiewicz lost to Ian Ruitenberg 2-3 (15-12, 15-9, 19-21, 4-15, 10-15); Doug Thorseth beat Terri Cairns (sub) 3-2 (12-15, 15-13, 16-14, 11-15, 17-15); and Mark Tubman lost to Grayson Peters 2-3 (8-15, 15-6, 15-11, 12-15, 11-15).

In local Division 2 squash action last night:

Sterling Insurance 19, Underhill Geomatics 9

Sana Syed (sub) beat Gaylene Shoemaker 3-2 (14-16, 15-12, 8-15, 15-1, 15-9);

Amy Ryder (sub) lost to Lissa Abel (sub) 2-3 (15-8, 10-15, 7-15, 15-13, 8-15); Ben Gelinas (sub) beat Connor Morgan 3-1 (15-8, 13-15, 15-5, 15-6); and Stephen Buckler (sub) beat Shari Thompson 3-0 (15-12, 15-6, 16-14).

Yukon Brewing Co. 21, Electrical Shop 10

Cathy MacDonald beat Katherine Krabel 3-0 (15-8, 15-10, 15-12); Matt Johnson lost to Jen Meurer 2-3 (16-14, 10-15, 7-15, 15-10, 13-15); Megan Klassen beat Share Knorr (sub) 3-1 (18-16, 15-7, 11-15, 15-10); and Brian Healy beat David Buckler 3-0 (15-11, 15-13, 15-2).

Solstice Landscaping 20, Tony's Pizza 13

Rebecca World lost to Rose Mallet 1-3 (15-14, 6-15, 8-15, 12-15); Andre Benoit beat Mya Kondor (10-15, 15-10, 13-15, 15-12, 15-7); Paul Shrubshall 3-0 (15-9, 15-12, 15-2); and Kealan Campbell edged Jodi Tuton (sub) 3-2 (15-4, 13-15, 15-17, 15-11, 15-12).

The top three teams in Div. 1 squash are Pizza Hut (148), Assante (135) and Outside the Cube (134).

There is a tie atop Div. 2 between Solstice Landscaping and Yukon Brewing Co., both with 141 points. Sterling Insurance is third at 118.