After a long summer break, the women’s hockey team is showing the community how it’s done  

McMaster University has seen success in many different sports and now, one more sport is making the lunge towards success. The McMaster’s women's hockey team is currently in their second successive season on a mission to finally join the OUA. 

Last year the team spoke to the Silhouette about the funding they receive from the university and how it is not possible for them to secure a very large budget due to the team not officially representing McMaster on a larger scale in Ontario. However, this year the team is more optimistic and is excited to get back on ice.  

“I am extremely excited to get back into the hockey mood this year, especially after navigating how to plan and play out our season with COVID-19 regulations last year. We have been planning and preparing since May and everyone at the club has been in consistent contact with each other to make this season a success,” said Natasia Kurysko, a team veteran, now in her fourth year at McMaster.   

“I am extremely excited to get back into the hockey mood this year, especially after navigating how to plan and play out our season with COVID-19 regulations last year. We have been planning and preparing since May and everyone at the club has been in consistent contact with each other to make this season a success."

Natasia Kurysko, Marauders hockey Player

This season the team has also gained popularity through their consistent efforts at to better publicise the team on campus. As part of this, the team was recently at Clubsfest in front of the Burke Science Building, where students could visit them and learn about their tryouts for the new season.   

“Our success at Clubsfest led to a successful turnout at our information session and we are expecting a whopping 40-45 tryout participants this week. We have been working so hard to promote our team via social media and word of mouth. Honestly, I never really miss an opportunity to talk about the team to anyone,” explained Kurysko. 

Although the team is still not a part of the OUA, they will still have a remarkably busy season ahead of them. 

“We will have a 16-game season. This may be increased to a 24-game season, depending on what the teams in our loop vote on doing, as one team just dropped out. Our weekly schedule remains consistent every year; one team workout with the strength and practice and one to two games. Once the tryouts are complete, we are going to move straight to practices and workouts in the week of Oct 2. After all our preparation is done, our games are scheduled to begin the week after reading week,” explained Kurysko. 

Not only is the team putting all their efforts into preparing for the season, but they have also shown their professionalism off the ice too. Team members can often be found out in the community, looking to support others off the ice as well. 

“One thing that is extremely exciting this year is that we will be back volunteering with Skate the Dream, which will be run by our very own Megan Neufeld! Skate the Dream is a program run by the children club of Hamilton that gives underprivileged youth an opportunity to learn how to skate. Three to four of us from the team go out to sessions run two to three times a week and teach kids how to skate,” explained Kurysko.  

“One thing that is extremely exciting this year is that we will be back volunteering with Skate the Dream, which will be run by our very own Megan Neufeld! Skate the Dream is a program run by the children club of Hamilton that gives underprivileged youth an opportunity to learn how to skate. Three to four of us from the team go out to sessions run two to three times a week and teach kids how to skate,”

Natasia Kurysko, Marauders hockey Player

McMaster’s women’s hockey team is not just your ordinary varsity team and while they may not be an official part of the OUA yet, their effort at expanding, helping the community and making sure everyone feels welcome on their team certainly makes them one of the most respected teams at the university to anyone who knows about them. 

The success story of Ron Foxcroft and the way he changed sports forever

C/O Ted Brellisford

The year was 1984. Brazil and Uruguay were playing in a pre-Olympic basketball game in an attempt to qualify for the Olympics. With over 20,000 fans in the stands, referee Ron Foxcroft attempted to call a potentially game-changing foul down the stretch, but there was one problem. 

“The score was tied, nine seconds left on the clock,” recalls Foxcroft. “I emptied my lungs into my whistle to call a foul on Brazil. The pea in the whistle stuck. Nothing, not even a peep”.

In some versions of the story, this key moment occurred at the 1976 Summer Olympics gold medal game in Montreal. Regardless, it was through this experience, a new Hamiltonian success story was born.

At age 19, Foxcroft would referee his first game at McMaster University, entering the game as an emergency replacement after one of the original referees fell ill. After an impressive debut from Foxcroft, he would land a permanent job as a new referee

Over the years, Foxcroft made substantial progress in his career. He started as an Ontario University Athletics official, quickly moving onto bigger opportunities, including the Olympics and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He would officiate Michael Jordan’s first-ever college game with the University of North Carolina, facing off against the Yugoslavian national team.

He was involved in several significant games throughout his career, but none were of as much importance as that Olympic match, as a single failed whistle blow would change his life forever.

After missing an important foul call, Foxcroft became determined to find a better version of the whistle for referees who struggle with the same issues as he had experienced many times throughout his career. With the help of an Oakville design consultant and a Stoney Creek plastics moulding company, Foxcroft would create the Fox 40 whistle that is commonly found today. 

Upon building his team, Foxcroft went to work attempting to design the perfect whistle. The first was too big. The next wasn’t loud enough. Then it wasn’t consistent enough.

The problems went on and on, but he wasn’t prepared to back down from the challenge. After 14 prototypes, he would find the perfect design which would become the standard Fox 40 whistle. The pealess whistle was born. 

After its debut at the 1987 Pan-Am games, the new whistle became extremely popular across sports. By the end of his first game, over 20,000 orders had been placed.

Since, the whistle has become the standard for the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Football League, the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League. It is also commonly found in international tournaments such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Since, the whistle has become the standard for the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Football League, the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League.

Since the rapid growth and success of his company, Foxcroft has taken on numerous other successful endeavors. He remains the chairman and chief executive officer of Fox 40 and holds the same positions with Fluke Transport, a Hamilton-based transportation company.

In 2019, Foxcroft would be awarded the Order of Canada, likely the highest of his many achievements which include the 1997 Hamilton Citizen of the Year, 2011 Burlington Entrepreneur of the Year and an Honorary Doctor of Law from McMaster University.

Ron FoxCroft, aka "Mr. Hamilton," is a long-time supporter of @mcmastersports and chaired the campaign for #DBAC and Ron Joyce Stadium. He also invented the Fox 40 pea-less whistle. Today he is being invested into the #OrderOfCanada. pic.twitter.com/xMQwhB8sIs

— McMaster University (@McMasterU) September 5, 2019

Foxcroft is one of many success stories to have come out of Hamilton. He created a great product that had a lasting impact across sports and created a successful international company from his idea. The idea that began its course at McMaster University, where a 19-year-old Foxcroft would make his debut.

As Foxcroft said himself, “this all started because of McMaster University."

From minor pee-wee hockey to the NHL, Hamiltonian Steve Staios takes us through his 18-year career and beyond.

Growing up around the area of Main Street West and Haddon Avenue South, former National Hockey League player Steve Staios began his hockey journey playing in a minor hockey league for the Hamilton Huskies at Wentworth Triple rink. It was not until Staios was seven years old when he began playing hockey; over the years, he managed both soccer and hockey as two main sports until he devoted his undivided attention year-long to the ice rink at 15 years old. 

Staios was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League by the Niagara Falls Thunder; a year later, he was drafted into the NHL. With that being said, the transition was definitely not an easy one to endure. 

“The transition from the OHL to professional hockey was a steep curve for me. I got injured in my first year. I tore my [anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament], so I got reconstruction knee surgery. So, it was off to a pretty tough start. I played in the minors for three seasons and then I found my way to pro hockey,” said Staios. 

“The transition from the OHL to professional hockey was a steep curve for me. I got injured in my first year. I tore my [anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament], so I got reconstruction knee surgery. So, it was off to a pretty tough start. I played in the minors for three seasons and then I found my way to pro hockey,” said Staios.

Despite Staios bouncing around several teams within the league during the beginning of his career, it was not until he ended up in Edmonton with the Oilers where he found his home, spending about 10 years of his life there. Staios also had an opportunity to play for two more Western Canadian teams, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. 

[/media-credit] Steve Staios on the ice as an Edmonton Oiler.

As an Oiler, Staios’ trip to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was arguably his greatest moment but also greatest disappointment. 

“In 2006, the team we had was a close-knit team. We qualified for the playoffs as an 8th seed. We weren’t expected to do a lot, but then we went on a magical run into the Stanley Cup Finals,” said Staios. 

“In 2006, the team we had was a close-knit team. We qualified for the playoffs as an 8th seed. We weren’t expected to do a lot, but then we went on a magical run into the Stanley Cup Finals,” said Staios. 

Losing their starting goalie Dwayne Roloson in game one to a series-ending injury created a massive challenge for the team. Despite that, the Oilers were able to force a game seven, where they unfortunately came short of being a Stanley Cup Champion. 

To put it short, the emotions during their run were “machine-like”.

“When you go on a run like with a team, as an individual, you become sort of a product of your routine and environment. These emotions become consistent. You have butterflies before the game, you have the vigour and energy of competing, and then you have the rest before the next game. The emotions afterwards were incredible. Whether you win or lose, all these athletes and teams go through it,” explained Staios.

Staios exclaimed such emotions are also of similar nature on the international level, to which he won two gold medals playing for the national team at the World Champions in 2003 and 2004

“One of the greatest memories is holding my two kids on the blue line singing the national anthem after winning a gold medal in Prague wearing a Team Canada jersey. It is the most incredible joy and feeling that I will never forget,” said Staios. 

“One of the greatest memories is holding my two kids on the blue line singing the national anthem after winning a gold medal in Prague wearing a team Canada jersey. It is the most incredible joy and feeling that I will never forget,” said Staios. 

[/media-credit] Steve Staios (second from right) with his family after winning the gold medal at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

After Staios’ playing career ended with the New York Islanders, he was provided with an opportunity by then-General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Brian Burke to take on a managerial role for the team. Staios was eventually hired as a player development advisor

During his three seasons with the Leafs, Staios transitioned from advisor to manager and then eventually to the director. But Staios’ managerial career took a turn when head coach Randy Carlyle was fired and Staios was placed behind the bench as an assistant coach. 

“It was incredible. Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs is something I didn’t set a goal to do, but it was unbelievable and a learning experience. Credit to the entire staff and leadership, getting to work with some incredible people,” said Staios. 

“It was incredible. Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs is something I didn’t set a goal to do, but it was unbelievable and a learning experience. Credit to the entire staff and leadership, getting to work with some incredible people,” said Staios. 

Staios’ time with the Maple Leafs allowed him to explore the different aspects of the organization from bottom to top, which helped him currently run the Hamilton Bulldogs. 

[/media-credit] Toronto Maple Leafs interim head coach Peter Horachek (left) and assistant coach Steve Staios (right) on the bench with forward James van Riemsdyk (21) and forward Mike Santorelli (25) and forward Richard Panik (18) against the Washington Capitals during the second period at the Air Canada Centre (Jan 7, 2015 - Toronto, Ontario, CAN).

When Staios left the Maple Leafs to become the president of the Bulldogs, he received some mixed reaction from individuals attempting to persuade him to stay with the NHL team. Yet, being from Hamilton and persuasion from Bulldogs team owner, Michael Andlauer, he was convinced to put junior hockey “back on the map”. 

“We just haven't had great success in junior hockey in Hamilton. I felt sort of an underdog and wanted to put junior hockey back on the map in my hometown,” said Staios

“We just haven't had great success in junior hockey in Hamilton. I felt sort of an underdog and wanted to put junior hockey back on the map in my hometown,” said Staios

As Staios mainly had a background in playing as opposed to the business operations of the team, there was still a lot to learn as president and general manager of the team. 

[/media-credit] President Steve Staios (left) with Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean (right).

Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still some uncertainty regarding the 2020-2021 OHL season, as with the new provincial lockdown, the season has been delayed even further. Staios still hopes that with the rollout of vaccines and return-to-pay protocol, a season can be salvaged this year. With that being said, there is still great optimism within the team.

OUA and U Sports cancel all games and competitions for the winter 2021 term.

Following the cancellation of fall 2020 sports by U Sports, the organization recently announced its decision to cancel the winter 2021 championships, thus completely shutting down the 2020-2021 competitive season. The championships cancelled include basketball, swimming, wrestling, hockey, track and field and volleyball, in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Official statement from U SPORTS / Une déclaration d'U SPORTS

🔗EN: https://t.co/b75Z0lXqdp /🔗FR: https://t.co/TNfQ98XdsG pic.twitter.com/i6TLptiS6c

— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) October 15, 2020

As COVID-19 cases around Canada began to rapidly increase due to the second wave, it would not be feasible to hold games in tournaments while sacrificing the health of student-athletes and team members. With Quebec and Ontario being the greater sources of recent cases, having teams travel between each other for away games would not only potentially harm the athletes, but their families and friends as well. 

Furthermore, as provincial governments are now implementing indoor gathering restrictions, it would be difficult to continue planning for a season due to the unpredictable nature of the virus. 

#BREAKING: Ontario reported 1,042 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday - the highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic started.

— CityNews 680 (Inactive) (@680NEWS) October 25, 2020

"It is not logistically possible for teams to be travelling across the country at this time. Therefore, U Sports is in the unfortunate position where we are unable to offer the 2021 winter championships,” said Dick White, interim chief executive officer of U Sports. 

U Sports’ decision is also supported by Atlantic University Sport, Canada West, Ontario University Athletics and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Despite “Return to Competition” being officially cancelled, “Return to Train” is still occurring, with guidelines being determined independently by each university’s athletics department, including McMaster University.

“We have a modified return to train plan, which offers student-athletes some level of engagement while socially distanced and in safe settings. It’s about maintaining fitness, engagement, but also supporting people’s sense of belonging. We obviously have to do this while under public health guidelines and those of the university, but we have worked internally with teams (i.e. basketball) and public health to come up with a plan that allows certain members of teams to get back into training, like a pilot project,” said Shawn Burt, director of Athletics and Recreation at McMaster University. 

“We have a modified return to train plan, which offers student-athletes some level of engagement while socially distanced and in safe settings. It’s about maintaining fitness, engagement, but also supporting people’s sense of belonging. We obviously have to do this while under public health guidelines and those of the university, but we have worked internally with teams (i.e. basketball) and public health to come up with a plan that allows certain members of teams to get back into training, like a pilot project,” said Burt.

Despite the clinic having reduced hours, the minimal contact athletes undergo in part of this training program limits the probability of major injuries.

As courses are completed remotely for the 2020-2021 school year, very few students are on campus and thus, have limited access to their support services. Alongside implementing the “Return to Train” program, the McMaster athletics department is also providing mental health support to their athletes and virtual opportunities to train. 

Burt explained that the department is working alongside the Student Wellness Centre to make appropriate accommodations for the athletes to ensure they get the support they need.

“We’re making [the Student Wellness Centre] aware of some of the changes among our student-athletes and aware of the unique stressors that go hand-in-hand with losing your competitive season, training and travel. Our team also contracted a social worker to conduct seminars to stay engaged and positive. The team continues to further look at other offerings to help the athletes at this time,” said Burt. 

“We’re making [the Student Wellness Centre] aware of some of the changes among our student-athletes and aware of the unique stressors that go hand-in-hand with losing your competitive season, training and travel. Our team also contracted a social worker to conduct seminars to stay engaged and positive. The team continues to further look at other offerings to help the athletes at this time,” said Burt. 

The Athletics department continues to offer department-wide seminars while teams also conduct their own support programs individually. 

With that being said, the cancellation of the winter 2020-2021 season was tough to digest for student-athletes, faculty and fans alike. 

“My heart goes out to all the student-athletes who did everything right to get to McMaster and qualify academically and then to have this taken it away from you is really difficult. It started with the cancellation of the fall season and then going to winter, it’s difficult for everybody from administration to coaches to athletes. Even though some of these things weren’t unexpected, it doesn’t make it any easier to share that news,” said Burt.

“My heart goes out to all the student-athletes who did everything right to get to McMaster and qualify academically and then to have this taken it away from you is really difficult. It started with the cancellation of the fall season and then going to winter, it’s difficult for everybody from administration to coaches to athletes. Even though some of these things weren’t unexpected, it doesn’t make it any easier to share that news,” said Burt.

Despite there being a possibility of a spring and summer season, it’s quite difficult to speculate the outcome due to the fluctuation of COVID-19 cases and budgets for schools. Ultimately whether it’s a safe decision is dependent on the province’s number of cases moving forward. 

UPDATE🚨@OUAsport and @USPORTSca have announced the cancellation of all sanctioned sports seasons through March 31st, 2021https://t.co/5G95ApPsFw

— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) October 15, 2020

With regard to financial consequences, the department of Athletics and Recreation has taken a major hit with fee reductions, overall revenue generation and changes to staffing, yet their commitment to support their athletes remains the same. Despite this financial impact, the university and its faculties gave their support to research initiatives and mental health support according to Burt.

With the possibility of school not even returning for fall 2021, Burt said the department is not leaving anything up to chance. 

“We don’t even want to contemplate sports not being there next fall, but we are planning for all situations because it would be irresponsible for us not to . . . The tricky part is we are going to be at the behest of the City of Hamilton and the province of Ontario on what we can do,” said Burt. 

While hoping that some sort of normalcy returns to the playing field with greater access to training, it’s important to maintain a positive mood while supporting the McMaster Athletics community during these difficult times.

Photo C/O Noah Hoffman

The night of April 2 was the 95th Annual McMaster Athletic Awards Ceremony to celebrate Marauder excellence. The ceremony celebrated McMaster athletes and staff contributions on and off the court over the past year.

The highest honour, the McMaster Athletes of the Year, was awarded to Max Turek (Ivor Wynne Award) of the cross country team, and Linnaea Harper (Therese Quigley Award) of the women’s basketball team. Both led their team to Ontario University Athletics titles, and Harper went one step further, helping bring home the U Sports title for her team.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvxZ6ElAhq6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Graduating seniors Hilary Hanaka, starting guard of the women’s basketball team, and Andrew Richards, men's volleyball’s starting left side, took home the outstanding graduating student-athlete awards, the Dr. Edna Guest and Dr. Ray Johnson Awards, respectively.

Both athletes have displayed outstanding on- and off-court excellence. Richards and Hanaka had already been recognized by U Sports for their community work this season, so it was only fitting that they took home this honour as well.

McMaster's Rookies of the Year award the Mel and Marilyn Hawkrigg Award, was given to lacrosse player Mitch Pellarin and wrestler Ligaya Stinellis. Stinellis captured a silver medal in the 48kg weight class in her first trip to the OUA Championships, and made McMaster history by becoming the first Marauder woman to win the conference’s Rookie of the Year award.

Pellarin ended the season as McMaster’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 11 assists, which was the highest scoring total among rookies in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association.

Claudia Continenza, of the women’s soccer team, took home the Les Prince Award for her community service work, and women's hockey president and student therapist Laura Gelowitz won the Bruce Cochrane award for her service to the Athletics Department.

The Joyce Wignall Award, given to a team in recognition of their charitable contributions as a group, was given to the McMaster men’s rugby team for their various charitable efforts throughout the year.

Last night #MarauderNation gathered to celebrate a fantastic year full of great accomplishments by our student-athletes, both on and off the field. Here’s a recap of how the night went down! Thanks to all that attended! 🎉
.
.
.#GoMacGo pic.twitter.com/z8JfEMFShd

— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) April 3, 2019

The night of celebrating excellence was capped off by awarding 51 team MVPs from McMaster's sport teams at the varsity and club level, student-athletes who have competed for four seasons while maintaining good academic standing and coaches who have reached benchmarks in their years of service.

All in all, whether athletes had their their season cut short, or managed to come out on top as provincial or national champions, the annual Awards Ceremony once again rightfully honoured the hard work put in by all the various members of the Marauders athletic community over the past year.

 

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By: Ryan Tse

Have you been following McMaster men’s hockey this year? McMaster men’s hockey club coach and general manager Rob Wilkinson would be surprised if you have.

“Nobody really knows about us,” said Wilkinson with a laugh.

Marauder teams have once again enjoyed success across the board this season, highlighted by another provincial championship for the men’s volleyball team. But one sport most students are not aware of is the men’s hockey team, largely because it is a club and does not participate in the Ontario University Athletics. Yet this club of dedicated Mac athletes has been running strong for the past decade.

As a club, the men’s hockey team gets invited to play in six or seven tournaments a season, which roughly spans from October to February.

These tournaments take place at various schools around Ontario and Québec, such as St. Lawrence College, Bishop’s University and Sherbrooke University. Most of these schools are part of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.

Beyond tournaments, the team also plays exhibition games against other school teams, including the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto and Sheridan College.

They do not always have to travel, though — they face off against Mohawk College and Redeemer College a few times a year as well. Recently, the club played Redeemer on April 4 at Chedoke Arena, a local venue.

This is the ninth season behind the bench for coach Wilkinson, who organizes the tournaments for the team on top of his coaching duties. He is helped by his son Blair, a McMaster alumnus, who serves as the assistant coach.

It takes a lot of work for Wilkinson to oversee the club. Still, he enjoys his role on the team and said it is rewarding to find opportunities for McMaster students to play hockey throughout the year.

“We’ve had a lot of kids get involved,” Wilkinson said. “It’s not just about how good you are — it’s how committed you are to helping out and how dedicated you can be.”

Funding and practice time can be a challenge for the McMaster squad, but the players and coaches are willing to make financial and time sacrifices. To the coaches, it is all about the students and making sure that they can play the game they love.

“We’ve had a lot of kids get involved. It’s not just about how good you are — it’s how committed you are to helping out and how dedicated you can be.”

 

Rob Wilkinson
Coach and General Manager
Men’s Hockey Club

Wilkinson takes particular pride in noting that the club is heavily involved in OCAA tournaments, despite not being part of the association. Because McMaster is not part of the OCAA loop, there are certain restrictions and fees that must be overcome to allow the club to participate. Nevertheless, the coaches and players find a way to attend several of them.

“Every year, we’ve had more tournament activity than any team that’s a member,” Wilkinson said. “All that means to me is we get more kids more activity.”

The club even has built up some traditions over the years. Wilkinson mentioned an annual weekend trip to Brockville to play in a tournament before heading to Montreal for the night.

In Wilkinson’s time as a coach, he’s seen many different players wear the McMaster uniform on the ice. Despite the low-profile nature of the club, he’s quick to note that there have been some very successful seasons.

“We’ve won quite a few championships,” Wilkinson said. “One year, we won two tournaments in the same weekend. Another year, we won the St. Lawrence College tournament and we won the Queen’s University Challenge cup in one weekend.”

“We won three tournaments one year,” he added.

This year has seen the team attend five tournaments so far. While results are not the most important thing to Wilkinson and the club, McMaster has still done fairly well, coming away with a consolation championship and two semi-final appearances.

Typically, the club holds tryout skates at the beginning of the school year, where any McMaster hockey players are welcome to come skate and join the club. From there, the coaches select players from the large roster to go on tournaments, depending on the availability of the students.

Though McMaster lacks an official varsity men’s team, hockey still lives on through the McMaster men’s hockey club. Over the past decade, coach Wilkinson and the team have traveled all throughout the province, carrying maroon pride with them. So the next time someone mentions men’s hockey at McMaster, remember that Mac does have a presence on the ice.

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At McMaster, there are several club teams that students can join and women’s field hockey is one of them. Though one thing that makes it unique is that they have been participating in the Ontario University Athletics championship for two years. The OUA outdoor field hockey has an open style championship so clubs like McMaster, who do not participate in the regular season, are welcomed to play.

Their outdoor season runs from the end of August to end of October, and their indoor season runs from November to March. During these seasons, they play in exhibition games, tournaments and invitationals like the Big Apple Tournament held in Pennsylvania.

For co-captain Morgan Renkema this structure style is something that makes field hockey at McMaster really special.

“I’ve been on the team for five years and when I started, we just played exhibition games and weekend tournaments,” said Renkema. “So now being able to play in the OUA championships is something that adds an extra competitive edge to it. Field hockey is appealing to a lot of women because it is not like a full-time varsity commitment but we get to play with more competition.”

The fifth-year athlete and former soccer player first started playing field hockey in the eighth grade when she wanted to try something new.

“When I went to high school I decided to join the varsity team and to play more competitively,” said Renkema. “I always played soccer my entire life, but to me, field hockey was something I discovered on my own and it felt as if it was unique, so I started to play outside of school in a club team in tenth grade.”

When she came to McMaster she decided to try out for field hockey rather than her first love soccer because she wasn't sure if she was ready to be a varsity soccer player at the university level — in addition to the fact that she had really fallen in love with field hockey.

“When I joined, I never really expected it to be where it is today,” said Renkema. “Everyone always wanted us to be an OUA team and now we're halfway there. So it’s been really nice to see the progress over the years.”

 

Though the team has been able to make a lot of progress structurally, this year has been a really big rebuilding year for the program. With a lot of senior players graduating at the conclusion of last season, this year’s team consisted of a lot of first-year players.

“On paper its hard to say that we did well because we did end up losing all of our games but we are playing against teams that have more experience than us,” said Renkema. “During last year’s OUA championship, we ended up tying two of our games and going into shootout, where we unfortunately lost both. But we got a lot of positive feedback from that because no one was expecting us to actually be able to compete.”

For the team’s indoor season, they play in the premier division of an indoor league in Waterloo along with seven other teams. This year, they managed to finish in fifth place, making the playoffs but falling short during the March 10 weekend.

“In our first game, we managed to keep the score tied 1-1 for the majority of the game but in the last few minutes they managed to score,” said Renkema. “We went on to win one more game but lost 4-3 to a team that we were down 3-0 to.”

Even though they are not performing at the level they would like to be at, it has only been two years since they began playing at the OUA Championships and Renkema believes that in time they can really begin to succeed.

“We have a lot of good new talent and even though this is my last year playing I think we have a lot of potential going forward,” said Renkema. “First-year goalies Madeline Waybill and Jessica Kostuch have shown a lot of improvement and should be able to help our team continue to grow.”

As Renkema looks back at her five years as a Marauder, one thing she knows for sure is that she does not regret choosing to play field hockey over soccer in her first year.

“We’ve come a long way since I’ve started and really have been able to make a name for ourselves,” said Renkema. “I know it may not be ideal for a lot of people being in between [an OUA team and club] but I really enjoy that nature of it. Also we have a special bond as a team and I have been able to make a lot of close friends because of it over the years.”

As she prepares to graduate and leave McMaster women’s field hockey behind, the lessons she learned from it will remain.

“The one thing I will take away from my time as a field hockey player at McMaster is to be persistent,” said Renkema. “We’ve heard 'no’ a lot, but we always kept going”

Understanding the unique nature of their team and using it as a reason to continue to improve and grow as a club in the McMaster athletics community is what the women on the team have excelled at doing. It is this persistence that has allowed them to be recognized by the OUA and that will continue to take them far for years to come.

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At exactly 10:30 p.m. once a week, you can find the McMaster women’s hockey club happily taking the ice in Wentworth Arenas. The majority of the players have just finished a long day of classes, some even worked, but because of their love for the sport they are present and ready to go.

There are 20 universities that make up Ontario University Athletics, 13 of which have provincial women’s hockey teams. McMaster is not one of them. This is no surprise especially because McMaster’s director of athletics Glen Grunwald has shared that it is not in the plans to bring OUA hockey for either men or women to the school anytime soon.

However, this does not stop the 17 women in Mac’s hockey club from working hard to keep their team afloat. For third-year kinesiology student Laura Gelowitz, her love for hockey makes late night practices and low financial support worth it.

“I play hockey because it relieves stress and it’s a great way to meet people who you end up forming a close bond with,” said Gelowitz. “I have an older brother but never had sisters and I consider these girls like the sisters I never had.”

The team is led by volunteer coach Terry Morgan. Morgan, a barber at Emerson Studios on Emerson Street, volunteers around six to 10 hours a we

ek coaching the girls who compete in the Golden Horseshoe Women's Hockey League.

The GHWHL is a Senior AA / Senior A competitive women's hockey league that plays in Hamilton and its surrounding areas. Right now, the Marauders are not where they would like to be in the league, sitting second last in the nine-team league.

“We are not doing as great as we hoped, but our league record does not display how good our team really is and how good we work as a team,” said Gelowitz. “We have a lot of tough competition in this league, but I think everyone is still having a lot of fun which is the most important thing for us.”

With the team being classified as a club they do receive some funding from McMaster athletics department, but with the club’s yearly budget being around $16,000 it unfortunately does little to cover costs. This is one of the main reasons that practice is so late in the evening. Since the ice time is cheaper at night, it is the only time they can afford to practice.

“’It is hard to focus having practice at 10:30 p.m. when everyone is tired and have had a long day of classes,” said fifth-year player Jennifer Collingswood. “If the school could help getting better practice times or a rink on campus that would be great.”

The chance of that coming true any time soon is highly unlikely but does not stop the team from hoping for more support from their fellow students.

“No one really knows too much about the club and what we are,” said Gelowitz. “So it would be nice to get our team some more exposure, because it’s some good hockey and I feel like a lot of people would love to watch it.”

Not only would they like support on the ice but they would love it outside of the rink too. This year, the team held their first annual charity game against the Hamilton police in support of a program within the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton called "Skate the Dream”. By the end of the event, $1,000 was raised for the program between ticket and raffle sales. Though the event was successful, more backing from the McMaster community in the future is what they would like to see.

With the team’s regular season finale scheduled for Mar. 17, the women still have a few weeks to improve their 2-13-1 record and the McMaster community still has time to show their support. Head over to nearby Wentworth Arenas to see some hard work, entertaining hockey and a whole lot of heart.

Next home games: Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Mar. 3, Mar. 17

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McMaster does not have hockey programs at the University Sports level, and it should stay that way.

The men’s program ended in 1989 and people still talk about the McMaster Marlins. Numerous people have asked me about the lack of a men or women’s hockey program during my years as a Sports Editor. An alumnus emailed me this week asking if the athletic department had any plans to bring hockey back.

In January 2015, Athletic Director Glen Grunwald gave the Hamilton Spectator a pretty simple answer to the question: “You never say never right, but right now it’s not in our plans to do that.”

This is absolutely the right response. As it stands, McMaster boasts a strong athletic department. The results speak for themselves. Mac consistently sends teams to national championship tournaments and events. Seeing a provincial or national championship banner in the halls of the David Braley Athletic Centre is almost expected at this point. The standard for athletics at Mac is as high as any school in the country.

The idea that McMaster needs hockey programs stems from Canada’s extreme love for the sport. People romanticize the idea of a maroon and grey hockey team because the game is so deeply ingrained in the sporting culture of the country. If “hockey is Canada”, why wouldn’t it work at Mac?

For one, university hockey by-and-large does not have a market in Ontario. Games are streamed online and the crowds are insignificant. Teams in urban markets draw in the low to mid-hundreds of people. These are universities with undergraduate populations over 15,000, plus the local communities to which the teams belong. People don’t pay attention to Ontario University Athletics hockey, and there is no reason to suggest it would be different after the novelty of a hockey program wore off.

Hockey fans are indifferent to OUA hockey is because it’s redundant. The Ontario Hockey League has teams throughout the province and in most university towns; 11 of the 17 Canadian teams also have a university hockey team (men’s or women’s) in their city. These teams feature National Hockey League prospects while OUA hockey offers little in terms of narrative for fans.

Hamilton has the Bulldogs playing in the OHL and their attendance is middle of the pack. If you have a strategy for getting McMaster students out to their games, I’m sure the franchise would love to hear from you because they have been a struggle to engage the Mac community.

And there is a cascading cost to getting a hockey program: the diminishing of other programs. Mac is already going through tough times financially, with their $600,000 “shortfall” this year set to force them to make some tough decisions. If we add in a hockey team, you’re taking money away from some of the top-ranked programs in the country. Is an average hockey team worth making the rest of the programs suffer? Not a chance.

Where would the teams would play or practice? McMaster does not have an arena on campus and they are unlikely to build one given the current issues with the DBAC. FirstOntario Centre in downtown Hamilton is too big of a venue and rinks in Ancaster are too far for a student population that rarely leaves the campus’ surrounding neighbourhoods.

I understand the sentiment: sports bring people together, and hockey programs could do that because it’s Canada’s sport. But the product has been a bust for nearly every urban university and Hamilton seems no different.

Students should try following the top-level programs we already have – like the women’s basketball team that is poised to make a run at a national championship – instead of looking to build a new team that no one will care about in five years.

Canada is known for its cold temperatures, warm-hearted people and of course hockey. The recent win of the gold medal in men’s and women’s hockey during this year’s winter Olympics left every Canadian resident proud of their country. Canadians have embraced hockey as their own.

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Whether it’s in a refrigerated barn, or just a frozen pond, nothing can get in the way of the sport we love. I have played travel hockey my entire life, and as most dreamers realize; “I’m not going to make it in the big leagues”.

However, my passion for the game has not dissipated in any manner since attending post-secondary school. Recently I had the opportunity to attend an exciting hockey game between the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University, which determined the post-season future of the Waterloo team. The arena was filled with positive energy; fans were everywhere embracing the rivalry between schools.

As I sat there, I felt a sudden realisation of deep withdrawal. I did not have the luxury of having my own hockey team to cheer for. Living in Hamilton, and being a student at McMaster University, I began to wonder how such a reputable school cannot have its own hockey team.

University hockey is a high tier level, with many of the players being big prospects for the semi-pro level.  There are currently 36 universities playing in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport league across the Canada. According to McMaster University, over 40,000 students are enrolled over the 2013 - 2014 year, and the school is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world.

With that being said, McMaster University is the largest university outside Quebec which does not compete in CIS hockey, and has not had a hockey team for 25 years. There is no definite answer as to why. I cannot fathom why this size and level of institution would not want a team where the entire country is behind the sport.

It seems that since McMaster has been out of the hockey loop for so long, the school has given up on hopping back in. There is a multitude of benefits of having a hockey team; the obvious benefit being the profit that the school can make from the sales of tickets, team merchandise, and advertising. This could drastically increase the schools funding. Alternatively, even if the school could not break even and suffered in a loss of money, how can cutting hockey out of the schools funding be justified? How has this sport been chosen out of the dozens of other sports teams to be unfairly boycotted?

If a team was to be created again, the school would be attracting a much larger and reputable selection of academia.  From the players that are wanting to play for the team, to the students wanting to be a part of the crowd, a hockey team would attract thousands of eyes that would have never considered McMaster as a possible option.

Many other aspects can be considered when wanting to create a varsity athlete team. A large component is building a rink on campus for the team to practice and play on. Once again money is a factor; although McMaster already has 3 prestigious fields, with a stadium that can hold 6000 seats, a newly renovated athletic centre, swimming pool and many other athletic facilities. Hockey players, figure skaters, speed skaters and recreational skaters are all denied access to a facility at the McMaster campus, and seem to be the only class of sport that is.

It’s time for McMaster to jump on board; it seems that almost every other sport has been accepted other than the sports on ice.

Something must be changed if a hockey team at McMaster University will ever exist again. Awareness is vital, both around the campus and the community. Making people aware that having a hockey team is in fact possible, and getting them to take action in pursuit of a team can drastically influence the school’s decision. One person alone cannot impact this cause, however if a large enough population were to show interest perhaps McMaster’s decision would change.  I can see that it would require a lot of time, and commitment for staff building the team; nevertheless this does not mean that we should just pack in the bags. With the student body and communities support, McMaster can re-establish their own varsity hockey team, and become a part of Canada’s rich past time once again.

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