On Sunday the 8th of March 2015, the OUIHC Women’s Blues travelled to Peterborough Ice Arena to play Cambridge in the annual Varsity Match. The Oxford team had a good core of talented returning players from the previous season and after a great recruitment campaign in the autumn, the team was able to build a strong roster. Until this point the team was having a successful season where Oxford challenged for the league title thanks to the dedication, leadership and hard work of the team. The culmination of the season was the Varsity Match, where the team was hoping to reap the rewards of this effort.
Oxford started the Varsity Match well and built an early lead with a number of players contributing offensively. As the match progressed it was clear that Oxford was the stronger of the two teams as the lead increased. While the team had a number of experienced ice hockey players, ice-time in the match was spread evenly throughout the whole Varsity squad with every single player on the team contributing to a fantastic victory. The Cambridge players were a credit to themselves and the Varsity Match as they fought to the end, showing great dedication throughout the whole game. The final score was 25-0 to Oxford, with Mel Lam winning the ‘Spirit of the Game’ award, and Jenn Lawrence winning ‘Player of the Game’. This match was a testament to the hard work that the Oxford University Women’s Blues – and indeed the Cambridge Women’s Blues – had put in throughout the year.
Despite the rivalry on the ice, the two womens’ teams got along well off the ice. The game was followed by a reception, where the two teams shared some beer and pizza while talking about the game, ice hockey, and life in general. As the two first women’s teams in the BUIHA it is important for the teams to support each other and women’s ice hockey more broadly. The OUIHC women look forward to continuing this long tradition when hosting the 2016 Varsity Match at home at the Oxford Ice Rink on March 6th.