Except for the lucky few who get to call themselves champions, teams in all sports are faced with a long and painful offseason. For the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team, this summer was no exception.
Losing to eventual CIS champions Laurier in the OUA finals poses the inevitable questions of ‘what if?’ How would the Blues have fared with the opportunity to compete against Canada’s best? If one game had played out differently, would they be raising another championship banner to the rafters of Varsity Arena?
On the eve of a new season, a team must shed those types of questions, and do their best to look to the future. The questions of ‘what if?’ have to become questions of ‘what’s next?’ The Blues are hoping to do just that this Saturday, as they open their season at home versus the Brock Badgers (7:00 p.m., Varsity Arena).
For any team, a new season offers new opportunities and a renewed sense of promise. But Blues’ coach Karen Hughes believes there are more than a few reasons to be optimistic about women’s hockey at the University of Toronto this coming season.
It all starts in goal for the Blues, as U of T’s goaltending situation appears to be in great shape. Goaltenders Lisa Robertson and Stephanie Lockert are both returning to the Blues lineup after posting goals-against averages under 2.00 during the last campaign.
These outstanding netminders will be protected by a skilful defence corps that can contribute in a variety of areas. Hughes expects the defenders to continue to be a key part of the Blues’ success at both ends of the ice.
“Our defence has always been involved in the rush. A number of them scored key goals for us last year in key situations, and we would be looking for this trend to continue [this season],” he said.
Having such a solid and dependable back end is a recipe for success in the opinion of the decorated coach.
“I believe that in hockey you need to do a good job in your own end and build from there. I think we have a great starting point to improve from this year, with a lot of experience both in goal and [on defence].”
It will be with the group of forwards that the Blues will face their biggest challenge. The club lost three of their top four scorers from last year and face the task of replacing that amount of production on a consistent basis.
U of T will be counting on Emily Patry, Janine Davies, Laura Foster, and the return of Katie Dowdall to pick up some of the slack left by their departed mates.
But Hughes believes the Blues’ offensive attack won’t stop there: “We have also added several first-year forwards who bring energy, enthusiasm, and good touch around the net.”
The Blues weren’t the only team to lose several valuable members, as most teams-including defending champs Laurier-had key players graduate or move on.
“This is the nature of university sport,” says Hughes.
There is no question that the OUA title is up for grabs this season. There are a number of things that need to happen for the Blues to be in the hunt for that coveted title.
The key will be to use the first-rate defence corps as fuel for the offensive attack. Solid defence combined with a plethora of speed up front should facilitate offensive chances in transition and on the rush. It will be up to the Blues forwards to make good on these chances.
The Blues start the season with four straight games at home, and then venture out on a prolonged road trip. It would seem a fast start would be crucial for the Blues, but Hughes downplayed that fact, pointing to an excellent road record over the course of the past season.
However, she did add: “Every year, getting a good start is helpful.”
The Blues begin their quest for a national title on Saturday night against Brock. This is not simply a quest for the finals, but also a chance to make next year’s offseason a little bit shorter.
