March 2, 2006
LAURIER LOOKS TO THREE-PEAT AT FINAL FOUR
ST.CATHARINES - The Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey team obviously doesn't suffer from a lack of confidence. With two consecutive Ontario University Athletics championships under their belts, and three titles in the past four years, the Hawks have solidified their reputation as one of the premier programs in the country. That belief in each other reached a different level last winter when Laurier dominated the University of Alberta Pandas 4-1 in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship game. After a runaway first-place finish in the league in the 2005/06 season, the Hawks now have their sights on a third straight OUA banner at the Women's Hockey Final Four, set for Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5 at the St. Catharines Seymour-Hanna Arena. But the members of the Waterloo-based juggernaut understand the task won't be an easy one as they begin the tournament against the talented Guelph Gryphons.
"We're very much aware of the fact that there is parity in the OUA," says Laurier head coach Rick Osborne. "We won the league by 11 points but we had lots of one-goal games. We're going in with the attitude that it will take a lot of hard work to be successful."
The top-seeded Hawks (20-3-1-0, 41 points) and Gryphons (9-8-6-1, 25 points and a 1-0 record in the post-season) meet in the second semi-final Saturday at 7:00 pm, while the second-seeded Queen's Golden Gaels (14-8-2-0, 30 points) take on the Toronto Varsity Blues (12-7-3-2, 29 points and a 1-0 record in the playoffs) in the tournament opener at 4:00 pm.
Laurier and Guelph last met on January 28 with the Hawks pulling out a tight 2-1 win. The two rivals traditionally play rugged, tight-checking games against each other and the Gryphons expect the same as they face a massive test right off the hop at the Final Four.
"That's the way we like it," says Guelph goaltender Aleisha Lusk. "We know it's going to be a close game with them. Everybody's seeing us an underdog and we're taking that as a challenge.
"There's certainly a rivalry there. We've been competitive with them for years and it shows."
Lusk (Mitchell, ON) says that the first goal will be crucial in this particular match-up as both teams will look to establish their respective systems. Guelph goes to St. Catharines following a tremendous 3-1 quarter-final win over the Brock Badgers in which they collectively shut down OUA MVP and scoring leader Kate Allgood. The Gryphons have balance throughout the lineup with Lusk in net (1.75 goals against average, .942 save percentage and tied for first in the OUA with four shutouts), a big group of talented forwards including Elysia Desmier (Ottawa, ON), Elaine Dumas (Waterloo, ON) and Brittany Roberts (Markdale, ON) and a hard-working, experienced unit on the blueline, led by veterans Sarah Woods (Toronto, ON) and Bianca Kitts (Nepean, ON), who scored a highlight-reel goal on a long rush up ice in the quarter-final win over Brock. Sniper Arden Sullivan (London, ON) was the team's leading scorer in the regular season with 10 goals (eight on the power play) and 13 assists, ranking her fourth in league scoring.
"It's a big part of how we've been building the program," head coach Chuck Wight says of his team's strength throughout the lineup. "We're getting the skilled athletes that will put in the commitment."
Guelph was successful at taking away time and space in the win against the Badgers but containing the explosive Golden Hawks is a different challenge. Laurier paced the OUA with 76 goals, including 11 each from first-team all-star forward Laurissa Kenworthy (Newmarket, ON, 11-13-24, third in league scoring) and second-year, Maple, ON native Diana Cicchillo. The experienced team has had seven rookies enter the mix this season and Osborne has been pleased with their integration into the program. Laurier did suffer a few lapses when first-year starter Morgan Wielgosz (Dorchester, ON, 14-1-1 with a CIS-best 1.14 gaa) went down with mild concussion after being injured in the last meeting with Guelph but Osborne was happy with the way his team finished the season, showing defensive grit with back-to-back 3-0 wins.
"They answered the bell quite nicely," says Osborne. "It was tough when Morgan went down. We lost a game to Queen's but the girls played hard. That shocked us back into establishing that work ethic."
The Golden Gaels' 4-2 win over the Hawks on Feb. 11 was one of four straight victories to end the regular season, enabling Queen's to secure second place and a first-round bye in the playoffs. It was also a sign that the Gaels could compete with the best in the country. One of the biggest strengths for Queen's has been the play of Holyrood, Nfld. Native Claire Hunt, a third-year Economics major who has been consistent between the pipes. Hunt finished second behind Wielgosz in gaa with a 1.57 mark (11-4-0 record, .939 save percentage and three shutouts). With Hunt keeping the puck out of the Queen's net, the offense can go to work at the other end. The attack features eight double-digit scorers on the season, led by rookie sensation Victoria Kaufmann (Whitby, ON), who paced the team with 11 goals and 20 points.
"It's been an incredible year," says Kaufmann. "Our big turning point was beating Laurier. We realized we could get second place after that and we gained a lot of confidence."
Queen's finished 2-1 in three regular season games against the Blues, all of which were close contests. Toronto, a three-time OUA champion in a four-year span from 1999/2000 to 2002/03, made it to the final game last season, bowing out 3-0 to Laurier. The Blues have been a power again this year, with first-team all-stars Emily Patry (Calgary, AB) and captain fifth-year captain Kim Devereaux (Seaforth, ON) leading the team to a third-place finish. Devereaux has been a force in the Blues back end and is regarded as one of the strongest and most consistent players in the OUA. Patry is the ultimate set-up forward, finishing first in the league with 18 assists and second in overall scoring behind Allgood with 26 points. Three of Patry's eight goals have been game-winners. Veteran goaltender Lisa Robertson (Mississauga, ON) posted a 9-4-1 record in 17 games, with a 1.84 gaa, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts. Toronto advanced to the Final Four with a 2-0 win over the Windsor Lancers last week.
OUA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 4 @ St. Catharines Seymour-Hanna Arena
Semi-final #1
#3 Toronto vs. #2 Queen's - 4:00pm
Semi-final #2
#4 Guelph vs #1 Laurier - 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 5 @ St. Catharines Seymour-Hanna Arena
OUA bronze medal game - 12:00 pm
OUA gold medal game - 3:00 pm
Visit the OUA Women's Final Four Web site at
http://www.brocku.ca/athletics/article.php?id=1793
Pioneer Petroleums is the official sponsor of the Men's and Women's OUA Hockey Championships
- O U A -
(Photo: Guelph forward Arden Sullivan looks up ice. The Gryphons do battle with the defending CIS-champion Laurier Golden Hawks at the OUA Women's Hockey Final Four in St. Catharines this weekend. Photo by Shannon Baskin.)
Enquires can be addressed to:
David DiCenzo
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario University Athletics
Phone: 905-540-5156
Fax: 905-540-5149
Email: david.dicenzo@oua.ca
Web: www.oua.ca
"We're very much aware of the fact that there is parity in the OUA," says Laurier head coach Rick Osborne. "We won the league by 11 points but we had lots of one-goal games. We're going in with the attitude that it will take a lot of hard work to be successful."
The top-seeded Hawks (20-3-1-0, 41 points) and Gryphons (9-8-6-1, 25 points and a 1-0 record in the post-season) meet in the second semi-final Saturday at 7:00 pm, while the second-seeded Queen's Golden Gaels (14-8-2-0, 30 points) take on the Toronto Varsity Blues (12-7-3-2, 29 points and a 1-0 record in the playoffs) in the tournament opener at 4:00 pm.
Laurier and Guelph last met on January 28 with the Hawks pulling out a tight 2-1 win. The two rivals traditionally play rugged, tight-checking games against each other and the Gryphons expect the same as they face a massive test right off the hop at the Final Four.
"That's the way we like it," says Guelph goaltender Aleisha Lusk. "We know it's going to be a close game with them. Everybody's seeing us an underdog and we're taking that as a challenge.
"There's certainly a rivalry there. We've been competitive with them for years and it shows."
Lusk (Mitchell, ON) says that the first goal will be crucial in this particular match-up as both teams will look to establish their respective systems. Guelph goes to St. Catharines following a tremendous 3-1 quarter-final win over the Brock Badgers in which they collectively shut down OUA MVP and scoring leader Kate Allgood. The Gryphons have balance throughout the lineup with Lusk in net (1.75 goals against average, .942 save percentage and tied for first in the OUA with four shutouts), a big group of talented forwards including Elysia Desmier (Ottawa, ON), Elaine Dumas (Waterloo, ON) and Brittany Roberts (Markdale, ON) and a hard-working, experienced unit on the blueline, led by veterans Sarah Woods (Toronto, ON) and Bianca Kitts (Nepean, ON), who scored a highlight-reel goal on a long rush up ice in the quarter-final win over Brock. Sniper Arden Sullivan (London, ON) was the team's leading scorer in the regular season with 10 goals (eight on the power play) and 13 assists, ranking her fourth in league scoring.
"It's a big part of how we've been building the program," head coach Chuck Wight says of his team's strength throughout the lineup. "We're getting the skilled athletes that will put in the commitment."
Guelph was successful at taking away time and space in the win against the Badgers but containing the explosive Golden Hawks is a different challenge. Laurier paced the OUA with 76 goals, including 11 each from first-team all-star forward Laurissa Kenworthy (Newmarket, ON, 11-13-24, third in league scoring) and second-year, Maple, ON native Diana Cicchillo. The experienced team has had seven rookies enter the mix this season and Osborne has been pleased with their integration into the program. Laurier did suffer a few lapses when first-year starter Morgan Wielgosz (Dorchester, ON, 14-1-1 with a CIS-best 1.14 gaa) went down with mild concussion after being injured in the last meeting with Guelph but Osborne was happy with the way his team finished the season, showing defensive grit with back-to-back 3-0 wins.
"They answered the bell quite nicely," says Osborne. "It was tough when Morgan went down. We lost a game to Queen's but the girls played hard. That shocked us back into establishing that work ethic."
The Golden Gaels' 4-2 win over the Hawks on Feb. 11 was one of four straight victories to end the regular season, enabling Queen's to secure second place and a first-round bye in the playoffs. It was also a sign that the Gaels could compete with the best in the country. One of the biggest strengths for Queen's has been the play of Holyrood, Nfld. Native Claire Hunt, a third-year Economics major who has been consistent between the pipes. Hunt finished second behind Wielgosz in gaa with a 1.57 mark (11-4-0 record, .939 save percentage and three shutouts). With Hunt keeping the puck out of the Queen's net, the offense can go to work at the other end. The attack features eight double-digit scorers on the season, led by rookie sensation Victoria Kaufmann (Whitby, ON), who paced the team with 11 goals and 20 points.
"It's been an incredible year," says Kaufmann. "Our big turning point was beating Laurier. We realized we could get second place after that and we gained a lot of confidence."
Queen's finished 2-1 in three regular season games against the Blues, all of which were close contests. Toronto, a three-time OUA champion in a four-year span from 1999/2000 to 2002/03, made it to the final game last season, bowing out 3-0 to Laurier. The Blues have been a power again this year, with first-team all-stars Emily Patry (Calgary, AB) and captain fifth-year captain Kim Devereaux (Seaforth, ON) leading the team to a third-place finish. Devereaux has been a force in the Blues back end and is regarded as one of the strongest and most consistent players in the OUA. Patry is the ultimate set-up forward, finishing first in the league with 18 assists and second in overall scoring behind Allgood with 26 points. Three of Patry's eight goals have been game-winners. Veteran goaltender Lisa Robertson (Mississauga, ON) posted a 9-4-1 record in 17 games, with a 1.84 gaa, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts. Toronto advanced to the Final Four with a 2-0 win over the Windsor Lancers last week.
OUA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 4 @ St. Catharines Seymour-Hanna Arena
Semi-final #1
#3 Toronto vs. #2 Queen's - 4:00pm
Semi-final #2
#4 Guelph vs #1 Laurier - 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 5 @ St. Catharines Seymour-Hanna Arena
OUA bronze medal game - 12:00 pm
OUA gold medal game - 3:00 pm
Visit the OUA Women's Final Four Web site at
http://www.brocku.ca/athletics/article.php?id=1793
Pioneer Petroleums is the official sponsor of the Men's and Women's OUA Hockey Championships
- O U A -
(Photo: Guelph forward Arden Sullivan looks up ice. The Gryphons do battle with the defending CIS-champion Laurier Golden Hawks at the OUA Women's Hockey Final Four in St. Catharines this weekend. Photo by Shannon Baskin.)
Enquires can be addressed to:
David DiCenzo
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario University Athletics
Phone: 905-540-5156
Fax: 905-540-5149
Email: david.dicenzo@oua.ca
Web: www.oua.ca
