UOIT women’s hockey team plays in historic outdoor game in Hamilton

Members of the UOIT Ridgebacks women’s hockey team enjoyed the privilege of playing in the first-ever Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Outdoor Classic on January 19 at Hamilton’s Ivor Wynne Stadium. The special event marked the first time in nearly a century that a Canadian university hockey regular season game had been played outdoors.

The atmosphere for the game between UOIT and the Brock Badgers was fantastic and  the weather was absolutely perfect as the contest featured everything from heavy snow and sunshine to extreme cold and bitter wind. The game itself was a back-and-forth nail-biter with Brock edging the Ridgebacks by a narrow 3-2 score (game highlights).

UOIT’s Vanessa Johnstone (fourth-year Communications student in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities) scored both goals for the Ridgebacks.

“Well, it was a little cold,” said Johnstone about the conditions. “The first two periods weren’t too bad, but when we came out in the third we felt it a little more. We came prepared though and we got used to it. Playing in this game is something you’re never going to forget and hopefully there are more girls who get the opportunity that we did.”

After the game, the teams went back out on the ice and took part in the Hamilton Bulldogs’ Skate the Dream program. The initiative was designed to break the barriers that prevent local children from learning to skate and playing hockey. The players were helping tie skates and providing on-ice instruction.

Complete game information is available at the UOIT Ridgebacks’ website.