Wilfrid Laurier takes Humes hockey classic

dan plouffe

Concordia’s 38th annual Theresa Humes Women’s Hockey Tourn-ament was another classic.

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks won 2-1 in the final game over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, thanks to Diana Cicchillo’s goal in the fourth overtime period.

“Oh, man, I was dead tired — I’m not going to lie. I’m not even sure what happened on the play,” Cicchillo said moments after the team’s wild celebration. “I just saw the puck go in, and honestly, I think I stopped breathing for a second because I was just so happy.”

The dramatic final brought to a close the exciting eight-team weekend competition. Each year, the tournament attracts some of the country’s best teams, including Laurier, the top-ranked team in Canada, defending national champions, and now winners of the Theresa Humes Tournament in back-to-back years.

“This, I believe, is the best university tournament in the country. This is the one where the best competition is,” Golden Hawks Head Coach Rick Osborne said. “It’s my only chance all year to simulate what happens at the nationals.”

The opportunity to play opponents from outside of their divisions and a guaranteed three straight days of intense hockey are big reasons why teams flock to the tournament.

“It’s good to measure yourself up against the other conferences. This year the Ontario teams came, and the other years, there have been teams from out west or down south,” said Ottawa Gee-Gees Head Coach Shelley Coolidge, whose team has competed in tournament for the past six years. “I think Concordia has done an exceptional job in bringing in teams to play here.”

The host Concordia Stingers had a strong performance themselves over the weekend. They bested their two main conference rivals en route to the consolation title, with 4-1 and 1-0 wins over Ottawa and McGill respectively.

The Queen’s Golden Gaels sent Concordia to the consolation side of the draw in the first game on the strength of Melissa John, their goaltender, who frustrated the Stingers no end, as Concordia enjoyed the advantage in play from the second period onward.

The game was not without high drama. When Queen’s jumped ahead 3-0 in the third period, it looked like the Stingers would be down and out. But they fought back, with Mary Jane O’Shea, captain Jodi Gosse and Janie Brassard all scoring within a span of five minutes to tie the contest.

“I think we learned a lot from that game because we were losing 3-0 with eight minutes left in the game and we came back,” Brassard said. “That showed we have character on our team.” John rediscovered her mastery in overtime and the ensuing shootout, and Queen’s won with a goal from their sixth shooter, Cassandra Sparks.

A new star emerged in the Concordia crease in the consolation final against McGill. Meggy Hatin-Léveillée was awarded top goaltender of the tournament and Concordia Athlete of the Week honours for her 43-save performance, plus all five stops on Martlets in the shootout.

It was Hatin-Léveillée’s first weekend as Concordia’s starting goaltender since Swedish sensation Cecilia Anderson is off with her home country’s national team in preparation for the Turin Olympic Games. Anderson was recently named to Team Sweden after playing in several exhibition contests throughout the first semester.

The Stingers’ prestigious annual tournament is named after Theresa Humes, the former Concordia Director of Women’s Athletics from 1976 to 1984.“She did a lot for women’s sport here, and had a special spot in her heart for women’s hockey and still does,” Stingers’ Coach Les Lawton said.

Humes was on hand to present prizes to the champions and top players of the tournament. “It’s great to see her, and she looks fantastic,” Lawton added.