After the success of the Men’s Blues 100th Varsity Match event in St Moritz Switzerland in 2018, the OUIHC rekindled the Club’s relationship with the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz boarding school through the establishment of a winter training camp. The school first hosted the OUIHC in the 1920s and has been hosting the Cambridge Men’s Blues annually for the past twenty years. This year, Oxford made the journey to Switzerland to undertake their own training camp at altitude on the picturesque outdoor ice rink that overlooks the Engadin Valley. The Blues had several intense on-ice training sessions and daily matches including a local bout with the host school, with the Blues coming up victors in a well-spirited affair from both sides. Following the match, the Blues participated in a panel and group discussion workshop with Zuoz students to discuss life at university, admissions, and various degree subjects and courses. An enjoyable evening for all involved and a fantastic way for us to give back to our generous hosts. Through the establishment of this annual winter camp, the OUIHC hopes to develop the historic relationship between Oxford and Zuoz for the benefit of future generations of OUIHC members.
Alumni Officer
Inaugural awarding of the ‘Oxford Ice Hockey White’
For too long non-Varsity eligible players have gone unrecognised despite contributing to successful Dark Blue seasons. To right this wrong, and with the support of the Oxford University Sport Federation, the OUIHC is proud to introduce the awarding of the ‘Oxford White’. The brainchild of 2018-19 Men’s Blues Captain Fabian Sivnert, the Oxford White is introduced as a parallel award to the historic Oxford Full Blue, to be exclusively awarded to athletes who are ineligible to compete in the annual Blues Varsity Match but have otherwise performed and distinguished themselves with their team contribution and high playing ability throughout the season. The inaugural winners are Kevin McGlynn (OU staff; as seen sporting the Oxford White blazer in the photo above), J.P. Moszynski (OU staff) and Evan Schryver (Brookes). It is anticipated that there will be two recipients of the Oxford White per year for both the Men and Women’s Blues teams.
First Full Blue awarded to women’s player in Men’s Blues Varsity Match
In the 2018-19 season, the OUIHC has set a number of benchmarks for participation in university sport. In March, Joanna Li How Cheong became the first woman to participate in both the Women’s and the Men’s Varsity Matches. Having made the Men’s Blues straight out of Michaelmas Term try-outs, she went on to be the backbone of both the Men’s Blues and Women’s Blues Varsity Match squads. In recognition of her achievement and her outstanding play in the 101st Men’s Blues Varsity Match, Joanna was awarded a Full Blue and in doing so became the first women to receive a Full Blue for participation in the Men’s Blues Varsity Match. An outstanding achievement to recognise an outstanding athlete. Well done, Joanna!
Women’s Alumni Varsity Weekend
In March 2019, over 30 women alumni from around the world representing Oxford and Cambridge arrived in Courchevel, France, for an alumni Varsity weekend. The clubs faced off in two alumni games, one all-female and one mixed, which included former players Deborah Coyne (1980-82), the founder and captain of Oxford’s first women’s ice hockey team, and her sister Barbara Coyne, who was a founding player for Cambridge (1985-86).
The Dark Blues won both Alumni matches, despite sharing several talented members with the Cambridge Light Blues.
Alumni had the chance to reconnect with one another, play with multiple generations of the OUIHC, and partake once again in the spirited Oxbridge rivalry. The weekend included a joint club Varsity Banquet and a raclette dinner to celebrate and commemorate over 30 years of Oxbridge Women’s Ice Hockey.
A special thanks to John McCall McBain (Wadham, 1980), his family, and staff for hosting both teams and Robert Drolet (Trinity, 1980) for organizing, planning, and managing the logistics of the event. This was an incredible opportunity to experience the growth and success of the Women’s Blues with players spanning the 30+ years of the team’s history.