Martlets upend defending champs

By Christine Rivet

(reprinted from The Waterloo Record)

WATERLOO - The top-ranked McGill Martlets served notice early.

In a rematch of last year's gold-medal game, but with a much different outcome, the Montreal school notched a 4-2 victory over the defending champion Alberta Pandas in Thursday's opener at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tourney.

For the Pandas, the result means their reign as national women's hockey champs is all but over.

"We've been on the fortunate side at times. But it's tough," said Pandas coach Howie Draper of the six-team tournament's unforgiving format which means any loss almost certainly dashes a team's hopes for gold.

"There's only one time I can remember in CIS history that there was a three-way tie for first in a pool."

The still-undefeated Martlets were relieved to put this one behind them.

"I've been nervous all week really," said Martlets freshman forward Leslie Oles, of Beaconsfield, Que., who led the charge with a goal and an assist.

Alberta won't fold the tent, said captain Leah Copeland. The Pandas play Queen's University in their remaining pool game Friday at 4 p.m.

"It's gone. It's over. Nobody knows what's going to happen next so we'll try to control our own destiny."

McGill scored a pair of power-play markers to take a 2-0 lead early in the second during the rough-and-tumble affair.

The Pandas busted the goose egg mid-way through the period on Karla Bourke's power-play goal.

Martlets forward Chelsey Saunders restored McGill's two-goal lead by period's end.

Copeland's marker pulled Alberta within one again at 8:56 of the third.

Then, McGill's Kim Ton-That's empty-netter sealed the win.

The Martlets, bolstered by a duo of Olympians, head coach Peter Smith and goalie Charline Labonte, also feature two additional former national team members, defenders Cathy Chartrand and Gillian Ferrari.

Captain Canada lands in Waterloo

Earlier this week, Wilfrid Laurier men's hockey goalie Ryan Daniels went a few rounds with the newly-christened Canadian women's university player of the year.

Ryan Daniels laced up his pads to face shots from the world's most famous female player, Hayley Wickenheiser, as she prepares for the world championship.

The two, and a couple of coaches, took to the ice at Waterloo rinks, Albert McCormick and Moses Springer.

"(Wickenheiser) has an accurate shot and you can tell how passionate she is about the game and representing her county based on her work ethic alone," said Daniels, who was named Ontario university's MVP recently.

Although Wickenheiser's Calgary Dinos didn't qualify for the nationals, she was in town to collect her CIS player of the year award.

"Once in a lifetime opportunity for me," said Daniels.

On deck

Friday's and Saturday's tournament games at the Waterloo Memorial Rec Complex are at 4 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday's action begins at noon with the fifth-place game. The bronze game follows at 4 p.m. with the gold-medal game to follow at 7:30 p.m.

crivet [at] therecord.com