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HOLLAND
COLLEGE • January 14, 2003
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INSIDE |
SPORTS
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hockey on the rise: MacFadyen Jenny Campbell The recent success of Hayley Wickenhieser being accepted for a three game try-out with a Finnish men’s league team may not be what girls on the Island hope to accomplish in playing hockey, says a volunteer of the Prince Edward Island Hockey Association. But it does help draw attention to the sport, says Susan Dalziel. Many girls have role models such as Wickenhieser, but they enjoy playing with each other rather than with boys, she said. “It’s the team concept, the social aspect girls enjoy,” says Dalziel. “They get to play with friends, schoolmates and meet new people.” The girls have the option of playing with boys and she knows of two who play in a bantam league, but most would rather play among other females. Female players like Wickenhieser are inspiring girls to play and national team players are helping promote the women’s hockey, Dalziel said. And women’s hockey on the Island is growing with numbers increasing every year. “It’s very popular. Most girls are starting out at a young age and they’re excited about playing.” Playing host to the national championships in 1991 helped promotethe game among girls on the Island to play. That was the first time a women’s national hockey team was included in the Canada winter games. The P.E.I Hockey Association started going into communities with the sponsorship of Esso and provided ice time and jerseys for the girls. Programs were also set up for girls who had never played before. “We had a tremendous response,” says Dalziel, who has been involved in the association since the 1970s. “Girls all across the Island wanted to play and at the same time the nationals helped create enthusiasm.” The popularity of the sport had tailed off. By the 1990s there were only four teams on the Island. It has since made a comeback. Now there are 74 teams and 10 of them are women’s teams. This is also the first year UPEI has had a girls hockey team. The university lineup is made of women across the Island.Coach Don MacFadyen said the team may attract local girls to the university so they don’t have to leave the Island to pursue their dreams of playing hockey. He also added what a success the sport is. “It’s going to take off,” MacFadyen said. “People are going to follow this.” Some teams have practised with the UPEI team which improves their game and gives them local role models, says Dalziel. “Players who are older and have more experience with the game have an impact on the girls. They want to play better.” Dalziel says the hockey program on the Island impresses other Maritime provinces. There are A and B teams at each division here. Most other Maritime provinces have hockey leagues ‘lumped together’ as she puts it. “We’re very fortunate. We have the organization and the people to play.” As far as equality in the sport, Dalziel says girls and boys playing on separate ice isn’t a great divide. Each team gets two hours of ice time at their home rink and more when they play against other teams. Skill may separate the girls from the boys, but Dalziel says that will even out with time. “Boys are generally bigger and stronger. But if girls start out young as most boys do, they will play an equally skilled game.” |
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