March 3, 2005
OLYMPIAN, WORLD CHAMPION & ALL-TIME SCORING LEADER SET TO HIT THE ICE AT VARSITY BLUES ARENA
Some of the nation's top women's hockey talent will be on display this weekend at Varsity Arena, as the University of Toronto hosts the 2005 OUA Women's Hockey Championship 'Final Four'.
The semi-final action opens on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the defending OUA champion Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks take on the Brock University Badgers, followed by an 8 p.m. tussle between old rivals, the host University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Queen's University Golden Gaels.
The Golden Hawks, who are currently ranked second in the country, are led by all-Canadian goaltender and 2004 Athens Olympian Cindy Eadie. The 6-foot netminder was 17-1-2 this season and was second in the nation with a 0.73 goals against average, while collecting an OUA record 10 shutouts. The two-sport athlete was also a key member of the Canadian women's softball team that finished fifth at the Athens Olympics.
Also no stranger to the Olympics is U of T head coach Karen Hughes. In her eleventh year behind the bench for the Varsity Blues, Hughes has earned five OUA titles, as well as the 2003 CIS crown with an undefeated 35-0 season. Internationally, Hughes led the Canadian National Team to gold at the 2004 World Championships and has been with the National program since 1996.
This weekend, Hughes will turn to U of T captain and under-22 National Team member Jill Savin(9G, 8A) and the OUA's fifth all-time leading scorer with128 points, fifth-year forward Jacqueline Cherevaty (7G, 7A) to lead the nation's sixth-ranked Varsity Blues.
Standing in the Varsity Blues way of a spot in Saturday's OUA final is the country's top scorer, Queen's Elizabeth Chiasson. The fourth-year Kingston, Ont. native became the OUA's all-time leading scorer this season (154 points) by racking up an OUA and CIS high 49 points in 22 games. Teamed up with Michelle Clark-Crumpton (35 pts, 3rd in OUA), the Golden Gaels have a very potent one-two punch.
Rounding out the 'Final Four' is the upstart Brock Badgers. The St. Catharine's, Ontario squad had their best regular season in school history and advanced to OUA semi-finals with a convincing 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Waterloo Warriors. Tenth-ranked Brock will turn to first-year Badger Kate Allgoodto pace the offence. She finished the season fourth in the CIS and second in the OUA in points with 43, including a CIS-leading 25 goals.
The winners of Friday night's semi-finals will advance to Saturday evening's OUA Championship Final at Varsity Arena at 8 p.m., which will also be carried live by Rogers Television. The OUA champion will earn the conference's lone berth in the 2005 CIS Women's Hockey Championship that runs from March 10 to 13 at Montreal's McGill University.
THE 'FINAL FOUR' TEAMS
WLU GOLDEN HAWKS (17-2-2-1, 1st OUA West; #2 CIS)
How they got here: OUA West Champs; bye into Friday's semi-final vs. Brock
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-1-0 (only loss at home to U of T 1-0)
Record vs. Brock: 3-0-0
Last 10: 9-1-0
U OF T VARSITY BLUES (14-6-1-1, 1st OUA East; #6 CIS)
How they got here: OUA East Champs; bye into Friday's semi-final vs. Queen's
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-5-0 (2-2 versus Brock)
Record vs. Queen's: 2-2-0 (all four games decided by one goal, with two going into overtime)
Last 10: 6-4-0
BROCK BADGERS (13-7-1-1, 2nd OUA East; #10 CIS)
How they got here: 4-1 quarterfinal victory over Waterloo Warriors
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-5-0 (2-2 vs. Queen's)
Record vs. Laurier: 0-2-0
Last 10: 6-4-0
QUEEN'S GOLDEN GAELS (11-8-1-2, 3rd OUA East)
How they got here: 5-4 (OT) quarterfinal victory at No.4 Guelph Gryphons
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 4-6-0
Record vs. U of T: 2-2-0
Last 10: 5-4-1
2005 OUA WOMEN'S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP 'FINAL FOUR' SCHEDULE
Friday, March 4, 2005
Semi-final #1 - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks vs. Brock Badgers, 4 p.m.
Semi-final #2 - U of T Varsity Blues vs. Queen's Golden Gaels, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Bronze Medal, 4 p.m.
Championship Final, 8 p.m. (Live on Rogers TV)
The semi-final action opens on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the defending OUA champion Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks take on the Brock University Badgers, followed by an 8 p.m. tussle between old rivals, the host University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Queen's University Golden Gaels.
The Golden Hawks, who are currently ranked second in the country, are led by all-Canadian goaltender and 2004 Athens Olympian Cindy Eadie. The 6-foot netminder was 17-1-2 this season and was second in the nation with a 0.73 goals against average, while collecting an OUA record 10 shutouts. The two-sport athlete was also a key member of the Canadian women's softball team that finished fifth at the Athens Olympics.
Also no stranger to the Olympics is U of T head coach Karen Hughes. In her eleventh year behind the bench for the Varsity Blues, Hughes has earned five OUA titles, as well as the 2003 CIS crown with an undefeated 35-0 season. Internationally, Hughes led the Canadian National Team to gold at the 2004 World Championships and has been with the National program since 1996.
This weekend, Hughes will turn to U of T captain and under-22 National Team member Jill Savin(9G, 8A) and the OUA's fifth all-time leading scorer with128 points, fifth-year forward Jacqueline Cherevaty (7G, 7A) to lead the nation's sixth-ranked Varsity Blues.
Standing in the Varsity Blues way of a spot in Saturday's OUA final is the country's top scorer, Queen's Elizabeth Chiasson. The fourth-year Kingston, Ont. native became the OUA's all-time leading scorer this season (154 points) by racking up an OUA and CIS high 49 points in 22 games. Teamed up with Michelle Clark-Crumpton (35 pts, 3rd in OUA), the Golden Gaels have a very potent one-two punch.
Rounding out the 'Final Four' is the upstart Brock Badgers. The St. Catharine's, Ontario squad had their best regular season in school history and advanced to OUA semi-finals with a convincing 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Waterloo Warriors. Tenth-ranked Brock will turn to first-year Badger Kate Allgoodto pace the offence. She finished the season fourth in the CIS and second in the OUA in points with 43, including a CIS-leading 25 goals.
The winners of Friday night's semi-finals will advance to Saturday evening's OUA Championship Final at Varsity Arena at 8 p.m., which will also be carried live by Rogers Television. The OUA champion will earn the conference's lone berth in the 2005 CIS Women's Hockey Championship that runs from March 10 to 13 at Montreal's McGill University.
THE 'FINAL FOUR' TEAMS
WLU GOLDEN HAWKS (17-2-2-1, 1st OUA West; #2 CIS)
How they got here: OUA West Champs; bye into Friday's semi-final vs. Brock
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-1-0 (only loss at home to U of T 1-0)
Record vs. Brock: 3-0-0
Last 10: 9-1-0
U OF T VARSITY BLUES (14-6-1-1, 1st OUA East; #6 CIS)
How they got here: OUA East Champs; bye into Friday's semi-final vs. Queen's
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-5-0 (2-2 versus Brock)
Record vs. Queen's: 2-2-0 (all four games decided by one goal, with two going into overtime)
Last 10: 6-4-0
BROCK BADGERS (13-7-1-1, 2nd OUA East; #10 CIS)
How they got here: 4-1 quarterfinal victory over Waterloo Warriors
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 5-5-0 (2-2 vs. Queen's)
Record vs. Laurier: 0-2-0
Last 10: 6-4-0
QUEEN'S GOLDEN GAELS (11-8-1-2, 3rd OUA East)
How they got here: 5-4 (OT) quarterfinal victory at No.4 Guelph Gryphons
Record vs. 'Final Four' competition: 4-6-0
Record vs. U of T: 2-2-0
Last 10: 5-4-1
2005 OUA WOMEN'S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP 'FINAL FOUR' SCHEDULE
Friday, March 4, 2005
Semi-final #1 - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks vs. Brock Badgers, 4 p.m.
Semi-final #2 - U of T Varsity Blues vs. Queen's Golden Gaels, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Bronze Medal, 4 p.m.
Championship Final, 8 p.m. (Live on Rogers TV)
