OUIHC President

Oxford vs Cambridge Hockey Alumni’s 2017 Ottawa Cup

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Oxford vs Cambridge Hockey Alumni’s 2017 Ottawa Cup

On Saturday March 25th at the University of Ottawa, alumni hockey players representing 7 decades of the Oxford and Cambridge University Ice Hockey Clubs came together for the Ottawa Cup. Several family members joined in on each side, forming 3 solid lines per team.

The opening puck drop featured two alumni from the 1950s clubs: John Graham of Cambridge (Trinity, 1956) and Denis Smith of Oxford (University College, 1954). Setting the tone for the game, Cambridge captain Peter Anderson (St John’s, 1967) took no prisoners in winning the ceremonial puck drop against Oxford Captain David Lametti (Exeter, 1991).

The 1st period featured evenly matched action, ending in zeros on the board, but it was Lametti’s Dark Blues who owned the 2nd period, storming ahead with 3 unanswered goals. Anderson’s Light Blues found their answer in the 3rd period however, chipping away at Oxford’s lead. Cambridge still trailed in the 3rd period, but John Graham, who had by this time volunteered to run the scoreboard, grew tired of seeing Oxford in the lead. Not in a position to jump on the ice to sort this deficit out like he would in the ‘50s, John plugged in a 3-3 tie on the big clock, foreshadowing a comeback. Sure enough, within minutes Cambridge scored the game-tying, bar-down goal.

Both Light and Dark Blue battled in the final minutes of the game to get their teams engraved first on the Ottawa Cup, but the final buzzer sounded with the game still deadlocked. With eager kids standing by for the family skate, the teams decided to conclude the game at 3-3. Player of the Game awards (a bottle of port) went to Cambridge goalie Brian Barrett (Jesus, 2001) and Oxford goalie Alan Keeso (Green Templeton, 2013).

The organizers would like to thank everyone for participating and supporting the alumni match, especially those who travelled from out of province and country. Thanks go out to John Hall (Green College, 1987), who organized the Oxford alumni games in Ottawa in years past, and Cambridge’s Donald Bur (Magdalene, 1988) and Oxford’s Bryan MacMillan (Christ Church, 2002), who both contributed to the alumni distribution lists from the annual Toronto game (coming up April 1st!). We also thank J-P Augustine, who will be putting together a video featuring in-game action and interviews with alumni on their Varsity Match experiences. We wish both John Hall and Ian McLean (Christ Church, 1975) speedy recoveries so they can join us on the ice next year.

Please send suggestions for next year’s game to Peter (profpja@gmail.com) and/or Alan (alan.d.keeso@gmail.com). We’ve had most alumni already commit to returning next year with some suggestions on building the game for our hockey alumni, as well as the overall event for the broader Oxbridge alumni community. We will work hard to get our women’s alumni better represented on the ice, but we thank Cambridge hockey alum Julie Barrette (Lucy Cavendish, 2009) and the one who got it all started for Oxbridge women’s hockey, Deborah Coyne (Wadham, 1981), for attending.

Thank you again and see you all next year for the 2018 edition of the Ottawa Cup!

 

2016: A Year in Review

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Oxford ice hockey alumni at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto

As we enter 2017 and resume the hockey season, the OUIHC look back on a hugely successful 2016 and list ten highlights from the 131st year of Oxford ice hockey.

 

  1. Alumni Gala, Relations & Hockey Hall of Fame

In May, the OUIHC hosted the inaugural Alumni Gala, with current members and alumni from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s Men’s Blues, Women’s Blues and Vikings teams gathering in Oxford to celebrate the past, present and future of the Club. Attendees enjoyed an Alumni Match at the Oxford Ice Rink, followed by a dinner at Hertford College and drinks at the Vincent’s Club. At the event, members of the Men’s Blues were awarded with Full Blues, the highest sporting University accolade, awarded based on Varsity Match performance against Cambridge University. A special thanks to alumni, Bill Hunter (’60) and John Cathro (’93) for visiting the Blues during the season and sharing their stories of Oxford Ice Hockey.

A highlight of 2016 was the acceptance of the Oxford ice hockey jersey into the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHoF) in Toronto, Canada. The Oxford jersey has had a similar design for over 5o years: dark blue and white stripes with ‘Oxford’ emblazoned on the front. The distinct club logo of OUIHC, originally the front of the jersey in the 20s and 30s, has been moved to the shoulders. The donated jersey belonged to Joanna Palermo (University College, ’10) in recognition of her tireless work and leadership during her tenancy as Club President and Women’s Blues captain. The strides she made to bring the Club and its teams to unity has enabled ice hockey to survive and go on to flourish as an increasingly popular sport within the Oxford University sporting scene.

Photo (top): The Oxford Women’s Blues and their alumni at the Alumni Gala 2016

Photo (middle):  Left to right: Jack Woods, Tim Donnison (2015 -16 Blues captain), Bill Hunter (Corpus Christi College, ’60, and ’62 Blues Captain), Julian Brave Noisecat, and Trent Taylor (current OUIHC Historian).

Photo (bottom): OUIHC Alumni at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Left to right: Gary Lawrence (St. Edmund Hall, ’81), Carolyn Scott (St. Catherine’s College, ’11), Joanna Palermo (University College, ’10), Aaron Polos (Balliol College, ’13)

 

 

 

  1. OUIHC Featured in The Canadian Encyclopedia and 90thof the Spengler Cup

2016 not only saw the celebration of OUIHC’s recent history and success, it also provided the opportunity to look back on the Oxford teams of OUIHC’s infant years and the legacy the Club established in the development of U.K. and European ice hockey. The OUIHC Historian, Trent Taylor, and 2015 Alumni Officer, Alan Keeso, co-authored a historical account of OUIHC in The Canadian Encyclopedia, through a collaboration between OUIHC and Historica Canada. The full article can beread here. At the end of 2016, the OUIHC featured in the 90th edition of the Spengler Cup (here). The advent of this European tournament was in 1923 in Davos, Switzerland. During their annual winter tour and road to the Varsity Match, the Oxford University team entered the inaugural Spengler Cup tournament and were crowned the tournament’s first champions after beating Berliner Schlittschuhclub in the final. Since 1923, the OUIHC have gone on to win the three more times, in 1925, 1931, and sharing the title with LTC Prague in 1932. The Spengler Cup is now an international fixture, with Canada winning the 2016-17 tournament on New Year’s Eve, beating HC Lugano in the final, 5-2 – Canada’s 14th Spengler Cup championship.

 

Photo (top): Former Alumni Officer, Alan Keeso (Green Templeton College, ’13) and President & CEO of Historica Canada, Anthony Wilson-Smith.

Photo (bottom): The OUIHC 1951-54.

 

  1. Vikings Return

The 2015-16 season saw the return of the Oxford Vikings to league play. The team had been on a 1-year hiatus to help re-establish and replenish the OUIHC Blues squad, which had been absent from 2012-14 league play. The reinstatement of an Oxford University Blues team in 2014, and the return of the Oxford Vikings in 2015-16 has enabled the men’s contingent of OUIHC to recruit players of all abilities. This system is key to the long-term development of men’s ice hockey at the University and provides a pipeline of progression for students to reach the Blues Varsity squad.

Photo: The 2016-17 Oxford Vikings 

 

  1. Varsity Domination for Oxford Women’s Blues

As one of the longest-standing rivalries in women’s ice hockey, the Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Match (est.1981) is the highlight of the Oxbridge ice hockey season. Students train several times a week, on and off the ice, throughout Michaelmas and Hilary Term in the hope of defeating historic rivals Cambridge, at the end of Hilary Term in March. A normally closely-contested annual contest, the past three years have witnessed Oxford domination in this fixture – an accumulative score of 52-2. The 2016 Varsity Match score was 17-1. The 2016-17 Women’s Blues are training hard to achieve their fourth consecutive win over Cambridge, scheduled to take place on Sunday 5th March, 2017.

Photo: The 2015-16 Oxford Women’s Blues (with alumni), after winning the 2016 Varsity Match, 17-1.

 

  1. Men’s Blues finish 2nd in top university hockey division

The British University Ice Hockey Association, BUIHA, has seen substantial growth of participating university teams and players in student ice hockey. In parallel with this surge of ice hockey popularity in U.K. universities, the standard of the teams has increased. Regularly one of the top university teams in the country, the Oxford University Blues (OUIHC Men’s Blues) 2016 campaign saw the team finish second in the league, two points behind Cambridge who finished first. In addition, the Blues success extended beyond league play, to the BUIHA National Championships and the European Tour.

 

  1. Oxford Men’s Blues: National Champions

The Blues entered the annual National Championship in Sheffield, with a winning record. The Oxford team took the weekend tournament by storm, outscoring Northern Champions, the Nottingham Mavericks, 6-3, and topping the group table with 3 wins and 1 draw. The semi-final match-up against St. Andrew’s saw shootout dramatics swing in favour of Oxford. The final against three-time defending champions, the Southampton Spitfires, tested the Dark Blues against the best in the country. Oxford came up triumphant in a 5-1 win, showcasing their skill and tenacity in a hard-fought win to seal their first BUIHA Division 1 National Championship.

Photo: The Oxford University Blues (OUIHC Men’s Blues) won the BUIHA Division 1 National Championship on April 23-24th, 2016.

 

  1. Tour team of Men’s and Women’s Blues

The 2016 European Tour saw members of the OUIHC Men’s Blues and Women’s Blues head to lake Bled in Slovenia. Located on the eastern slopes of the Alps, this get-away provided the perfect opportunity for team bonding, exploring Europe and tournament hockey. The Blues went 1 win and 2 losses in the Bled Cup tournament but took the win against a local Bled team in an exhibition match on the closing night of tour. Utilising the free time outside of term and touring with OUIHC creates the memories that stay with the players long after they have left Oxford — 2016 was no different.

 

 

Photo (top): A picturesque photo of Lake Bled looking towards the town of Bled and the Slovenian Alps. Taken from a boat, rented by some players, to row to the chapel on the small island in the middle of Lake Bled.

Photo (bottom): The Oxford University Blues tour team after beating their Finnish opponents, 3-1, in the final group game of the Bled Cup 2016.

  1. Work in the Community

Prior to start of the 2016-17 season, the OUIHC played a pre-season charity match against the Royal Air Force (R.A.F. Bluewings). In a back-and-forth affair, the Oxford team took a narrow 8-5 win. The true winners were the charities, KEEN and the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (R.A.F.C.T.), who were the beneficiaries of the total fundraising effort and awareness around the event. KEEN, which stands for Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, work to provide opportunities for sport involvement and development of social and life skills for children, adolescents, and adults with mental and physical impairments. The R.A.F.C.T. work to support R.A.F. personnel and their families, encourage air-mindedness, and the aviation-related education of the youth. A match report can be read in the student newspaper, Cherwell.

Photo: An example of a publicity post in the buildup to the Oxford University V. R.A.F. Charity Match, in order to raise money and awareness for the teams’ chosen charities.

 

  1. Finalist for Club of the Year

In recognition of the OUIHC’s continued success in the university leagues and in the University’s sporting scene, the OUIHC was shortlisted for the Club of the Year award at the annual Sports Federation awards night. Having won this award in 2015, a second finalist nomination (although, not winning) pays testament to the progress the OUIHC has made over the past several seasons, and the work ethic, passion, and tenacity of the Club’s many Executive Committees that have made the Club function year-in, year out. Honourable mention to OUIHC’s other shortlisted nomination at the awards night – Lisa Choi – who was up for Atalantas’ Teammate of the Year award.

Photo: Former Oxford Women’s Blues coach, James Buchanan Smith, and Oxford Women’s Blues alumnae, Kaylie Smith (Linacre College, ’13), with the Oxford University Sports Club of the Year award. The OUIHC won the award in 2015.

 

  1. Full Blues status for both Blues teams

The 2015-16 saw the first time in Oxford’s ice hockey history, that both the Men’s and Women’s Blues teams have held Discretionary Full Blue Status, the second highest Blues Status a Blues team can reach. In 2016, this enabled six Full Blues to be awarded to the top Men’s Blues players for their performances in the Varsity Match (despite a 3-1 loss to the Tabs). With the exception of an Extraordinary Full Blue award in 2015 (a one-off, separate application to the Blues Committees), these were the first Full Blues awarded to OUIHC men since the 2011-2012 season. The status of both Blues teams enables the top male and female student hockey players to be recognised by the University for their sporting prowess, joining a list of accomplished hockey-academics that dates back to 1933.

 

Follow OUIHCs social media platforms to keep up to date with the accomplishments 2017 will bring.

 

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Men’s Blues and Vikings                   Men’s Blues                            Men’s Blues

Women’s Blues                                   Vikings

Women’s Blues

 

 

Blood, Sweat and Tears: Oxford University Ice Hockey Club give top effort at the BUIHA’s Annual National Championships

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OUIHC Women's Blues at the 2016 Division 3 National Championships
OUIHC Women’s Blues at the 2016 Division 3 National Championships (Top row left to right) Lisa Choi (A), Rebecca Harding-Smith (A), Andrea Francisco, Gabi Smyth, Ellie Park, Nina Lindsay, Emma Walker-Silverman, (middle row left to right) Vanessa Lee, Mimi Pichette, Celine Collis, Jenn Lawrence (C), Fiona McKendrick, (front) Linda Perkio (G).

 

 

The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) sent two teams to this year’s annual Division 2 (full body checking) and Division 3 (Non-Checking) National Championships hosted by the British Universities Ice Hockey Association in Sheffield this past weekend.

The men’s second team, the Oxford Vikings, reformed this season after a one-year hiatus. Led by veteran captain Kevin McGlynn, the Vikings struggled throughout the regular season due to a small roster. With only 6 skaters and their goalie, Stefan Mirus hailing from Australia, the Vikings started the weekend off for the University despite their short bench. Calling up Women’s Blues defenseman Lisa Choi, the Vikings put up a fight against the would-be Champions, the Sheffield Bears B. Opening the scoring for the team, Choi put in a rebound from a break by McGlynn to put the Vikes up 1-0 halfway through the game.

Sadly, the Vikes could not hold the lead as their legs grew heavier with every passing minute. Former Bear Dan Boardman showed an incredible feat of fitness, pulling off an ‘ironman’ performance and never leaving the ice due to the lack of substitutes. With only 5 minutes remaining, the Bears managed to put 4 goals passed the Vikes. Outnumbered, the Vikes fell 1-4 to the Bears in a disappointing defeat despite their initial lead.

Reinforcements for the Vikings arrived shortly after lunch and in time for the second game. Joining the roster were Women’s Blues superstar Jenn Lawrence, Emma Walker-Silverman, and Fiona McKendrick. The Vikes faced-off against the Hull Ice Hogs, and later the Northumbria Kings B, falling short in both matches, 0-4 and 0-2 respectively, and putting an end to a disappointing though hard-fought first day.

But the day had only just begun for the Women’s Blues. Returning to the Women’s Blues bench, Lawrence (Captain), Choi (Assistant Captain), McKendrick, and Walker-Silverman would join their team against the Newcastle Wildcats B. Team veteran and former captain, Linda Perkio, strapped on the goalie pads despite having never played in net until only a few months ago. The Blues looked to maintain their success at the National Championships after last year’s historic 3rd place finish, the best result for any women’s team in the BUIHA.

Lawrence would open the scoring with an unassisted goal shortly after the opening face-off. The lead was quickly squandered as the Wildcats managed to answer with 2 goals, putting the Women’s Blues down 2-1. Lawrence would score again off a pass from Choi, tying the game at 2s with plenty of time remaining. Lawrence would complete the hat-trick at the 12-minute mark, living up to her reputation as one of the most skilled players in the league. The Blues would hold on to take the 3-2 win over the Wildcats.

The Women’s Blues took to the ice again, this time against the Sheffield Bears C. They took a heavy defeat to the top-ranked Bears, 5-0. The Blues finished day one with a match against the Southampton Spitfires B, an opponent that the Women had already faced-off against twice in the regular season. The Spitfires would take the game, 2-0, though the Women’s Blues kept the Spitfires to a single goal for most of the game. Despite the loss, the Women’s Blues left the ice with their pride intact – earlier this season, the same Spitfires team pummelled the Blues 17-2.

Day 2 began just before noon for the Vikings, which was fortunate considering the previous nights’ celebrations (Nationals ‘Lashionals’). Again calling up Choi, McKendrick, and Walker-Silverman (Lawrence would take the miss after a night of ardent “team bonding”), the Vikes finished their tournament against the Nottingham Mavericks B. In a close contest, the Mavericks opened the scoring early and led 1-0. With only 5 minutes remaining, Captain McGlynn put one past the goalie on a break from Boardman. The game and tournament would end in disappointment as the Mavs would score again with only 2 minutes remaining. The win for the Mavs would safely advance them to the playoffs, and eventually the final where they would lose 2-4 to the Sheffield Bears B.

The Women returned to the ice to play the Coventry and Warwick Panthers C. Despite predictions of a win, the Blues would only manage to tie the Panthers in yet another disappointing contest. The first conceded goal, and arguably the game, was lost due to the referee interfering with the admirable puck possession held by Lawrence on the penalty-kill. Lawrence would later tie the game with another goal assisted by Choi, followed by a beautiful off-the-post-and-in goal from Walker-Silverman from McKendrick. The Blues could not hold their lead, however, as the Panthers managed to sneak one by Perkio, ending the game 2-2.

A special mention needs to be made for the coaching efforts of Men’s University Blues captain, Tim Donnison, and the season-long coach for the women, Luke Summers. The two took on the difficult task of managing all OUIHC matches over the weekend, and trying to earn results with very few subs to hand.

The Vikings would finish at the bottom of their group despite an incredible effort from their short bench. The team played with grit, heart, and determination though disappointed to come away without a win despite holding a lead during some of the games. The team left Sheffield with their heads held high knowing they proved difficult opponents to the two eventual finalists. The Women finished 4th in their group and did not advance to the playoffs. For many of their players, this tournament would be the last time that the ladies donned their blue and white stripped jerseys to represent the University. For others, this was their first taste of Nationals, leaving the rookies and returners eager to come back for the 2016-2017 season.

The Men’s University Blues head to Sheffield on April 22nd for their go at the National Championships in Division 1 (Checking). They enter the tournament with their eyes on a top finish after placing 2nd in the regular season and a single win behind Varsity rivals the Cambridge Light Blues. The weekend will also be an exciting preview for the Men’s Ice Hockey Varsity. Tickets and details for this highly-anticipated contest are available online or through any current members of the OUIHC. The biggest game of the year will face-off at 5:30 on Sunday May 15th.

The 2016 National Championship roster for the Oxford Vikings consisted of: Kevin McGlynn (C), Dan Lock (A), Dan Boardman (A), Stefan Mirus (G), Harry Geisler, Julian Gregory, Lisa Choi, Emma Walker-Silverman, Fiona McKendrick, and Jennifer Lawrence.

The 2016 National Championship roster for the Oxford Women’s Blues consisted of: Jennifer Lawrence (C), Lisa Choi (A), Rebekka Harding-Smith (A), Linda Perkio (G), Fiona McKendrick, Andrea Francisco, Emma Walker-Silverman, Gabi Smyth, Mimi Pichette, Ellie Park, Celine Collis, Nina Lindsay, and Vanessa Lee.

2016 Oxford Vikings Varsity Squad (Top left to right) Dan Lock, Rich Eklow, James Scobie, Ruben Bunyaetyan, Matteo Gastaldi, Dan Boardman, Kevin McGlynn (C), Harry Geisler, Emma Walker-Silverman, Alex Bergin, Sean Molloy, Tomas Alfoldi, Tim Donnison, (bottom row left to right) Jack Woods, Stefan Mirus, Patrick Flammer, Luke Summers

Pucker-Up for Ice Hockey – Cherwell

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Puck-er up for Ice Hockey

By Archive – 

There is a certain kind of fearlessness and madness required to play ice hockey, judging by most people’s reaction to telling them your sport of preference. Most people wouldn’t spend their Saturday afternoons beating other people up while traveling back and forth at high speeds over a slippery surface at temperatures well below freezing. But the sport has nevertheless gained a cult following within Oxford, and it’s important to consider why.

The most obvious answer is, of course, success, which both the men’s and women’s hockey teams have enjoyed plenty of throughout the course of the season. Since the start of the season in October 2015, the men’s blues have enjoyed a nearly impeccable record of 3-1, recovering from their early-season loss to dominate on the ice. Their most recent match was an impressive victory of 12-3 against the University of London Dragons. With two rematches against Cambridge coming up in February and March, one the annual Varsity showdown, the ice hockey team looks strong. The women’s team has broken even with a score of 2-2, showing incredible improvements in their attacking drives in both of their most recent victories. At the end of November, the women’s blues played back to back matches against Imperial and Cardiff and won both, one by a particularly impressive margin of 12 points.

It’s clear that competing at such a high level and on such a frequent basis (although seasons average about 10 matches at the top competitive ranks, scheduling ice time within the limited number of available rinks means teams can play games on both the Saturday and Sunday of any given week) takes enormous amounts of training. But success in hockey demands a wide range of skills; players are not only expected to keep up with general fitness during the off season, but also to refine ice-specific techniques that are not imitated in any other sport. Skating requires incredible balance and speed, and hour-long games with frequent line changes mean players must have incredible endurance in order to maintain peak performance. Players also make incredible sacrifices to be able to compete for their team on a regular basis; training times are often irregular, with both men and women’s teams practicing at midnight and 11pm respectively on a weekly basis.

Given the dedication, time, and skills required, why do so many players choose ice hockey? Although Oxford is fortunate to enjoy such impressive records in the present day, the teams at the University date back, albeit non-continuously, to 1885, and officially since 1921. Today there are three main ice hockey teams at the University: the Men’s Blues; the Women’s Blues, and a second Men’s team, the Vikings. The Men’s Blues, compete at a higher level within the league than the Vikings and are comprised of 18 players, divided by position. The women’s team is of a similar size, hosting 19 players on the roster. The women’s team have been lucky enough to find two players skilled at the goalie position, which remains both difficult and somewhat unpopular as it involves having 55 mph slapshots fly at your face. The Vikings roster has 17 active players, although numbers can fluctuate between years depending on how many first time hockey players decide to join the team.

It’s a fast-paced, often violent, always-competitive sport creating an atmosphere that fosters popularity with its players and its fans. Although skaters are assigned positions on the ice, the current trend for two-way hockey (a style of play created by the Boston Bruins’ Bobby Orr in the 1970s) means that both defencemen and forwards contribute to the offensive side of play, which not only builds a strong dynamic within the team, but also allows more players to score, bringing more energy to their technique.
Some players choose ice hockey for the opportunities that it provides them. OUIHC opens its doors to all students, regardless of previous experience. Others are experienced players, with several hailing from outside the UK, and choose it because it is culturally familiar. Some Blues even turned their experience with the team into a lifelong passion for the sport; former NHL President Clarence Campbell played for the club during his time at Oxford.
Ultimately, it provides students not only with a venue and ice time, but with a team, an alumni network, and dedicated fans who share their passion for the sport. A passion rooted in the strength of the game.

It may be the historical or cultural significance, or it may be the optimal schedule for the nocturnals among us, or it may be because someone took a few too many leaflets at the Freshers’ Fair and ultimately realized that they had to pick something; but the essence of ice hockey’s popularity will always be the excitement that it gives to both players and fans, and it is that more than anything else that is responsible for its success

OUIHC Women’s Blues upgrade to Discretionary Full Blue status

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Full Blue blazer crest

On November 17th, 2015, the OUIHC women’s executive presented their case to the Women’s Blues Committee in order to upgrade their status from Half Blue to Discretionary Full Blue. Following a presentation and vote by Blues Committee members, the OUIHC women were successful in their bid.

Discretionary Full Blue status now allows the awarding of up to two Full Blues, at the captain’s discretion, for players who compete at varsity, play at least half of their league games, and play to an exemplary standard. The team must also win Varsity and finish in the top two of their division (BUIHA Division 1 Non-Checking) where five or more teams compete.

OUIHC Win 2014-2015 Club of the Year at Annual Sports Federation Awards Night

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Members of the OUIHC receive Sports Fed’s Club of the Year award for their achievements throughout the 2014-2015 season

 

On Friday, November 14, 2015, the University’s Sports Federation held its annual awards night at Iffley Sports Centre. The evening began with a champagne reception followed by a dinner and presentation of awards. For their efforts in the 2014-2015 season, the OUIHC was shortlisted for Club of the Year while current men’s captain, Timothy Donnison, was shortlisted for the prestigious Norman Bryce Smiley Trophy. The Women’s Blues were nominated for Team Performance of the Year, but unfortunately did not make it onto the shortlist.

The OUIHC won the award for Club of the Year, announced to the cheers of sixteen past and current members of the Club who attended the event. The nominations for both Club of the Year and the Norman Bryce Smiley Trophy are found below. Each nomination highlights the hard work, dedication, and perseverance of OUIHC members not only in the past year, but also for many years leading up to this wonderful achievement.

 

CLUB OF THE YEAR – OUIHC

‘The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) has had one of it’s most triumphant years in its decorated 130 year history. After a 2012 dispute which saw 15 members of the Men’s Blues split from the club to form their own private team, the OUIHC was left without a Men’s Blues squad, prospects, and Blues status. As a result of the tremendous efforts of the 2014-2015 committees on both the men’s and women’s side, the Men’s Blues was re-formed and their Blues status re-instated. An undefeated performance of 18 wins in the previous season saw the second team (now the Men’s Blues) promoted to the top division in the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. Though they suffered a loss at Varsity, the reformation of the Men’s Blues with Blues status, allowed the first official Varsity Match to take place since 2012. For their efforts in the 2014-15 season, 9 Half Blues and one extraordinary Full Blue were awarded to the men’s team for what will be looked back on as a monumental season in the OUIHC men’s recent history. Future years of male Oxford student hockey players will benefit from the efforts of the 2014/15 OUIHC executive members.

The women’s contingent of the OUIHC saw the Women’s Blues demolish both Club and league records. After dominating all opposition in Division 1 non-checking (the highest division in women’s ice hockey), the Women’s Blues fell short of the top ranking by a meagre point. The team would go on to destroy Cambridge 25-0 in the Varsity Match. This score is the largest victory in women’s history, and third largest in the 130 year history of University Ice Hockey. Following this success, the team entered the National Championships with only 9 players (2 goalies and 7 skaters – due to exams). In the playoff rounds of the tournament, the women iced only 6 skaters (one player was sent off due to injury) against teams with two to three times as many. The Women’s Blues would go on to finish third, losing in the semi-final match against Northumbria, who would go on to win the title for a third successive year. The Blues proved to not only be one of the best women’s teams in the country, but one of the best teams in University non-checking hockey for which Universities have iced all/mostly men’s teams. For their efforts in the 2014-2015 season, the Women’s Blues were awarded 10 Half Blues and 1 extraordinary Half Blue. The team look to continue Dark Blue dominance on the ice whilst spearheading a nationwide movement that is seeing increasing numbers of women playing this historically male-dominated sport. The foundations for this have been laid down by the Women’s Blues 2014/15 season success – next year, we look forward to a women’s-only playoff final (to officially prove we are the best women’s team in the country) and Olympic coaching at the annual Oxford Women’s Blues Development Camp which aims to develop Women’s University ice hockey across the UK.

To conclude this outstanding season, the club also reinitiated an historic Club tradition of touring abroad. Forming an inclusive team of both Men’s Blues and Women’s Blues, the team travelled together to Stockholm, Sweden. To further solidify the efforts of unity exhibited by both men’s and women’s teams, the Club’s constitution was amended at the conclusion of the season, to reaffirm the Club ethos and identity of an inclusive community of competitive and committed scholar-athletes.’

 

NORMAN BRYCE SMILEY TROPHY – Timothy Donnison

The Norman Byrce Smiley Trophy is awarded to a sportsperson who displays the characteristics most valued by Norman Smiley – humility in one’s success, morality in one’s ambition, pride in one’s ability, and willingness to add value to one’s surroundings. Below is the anonymously-made nomination:

‘Tim has been a member of OUIHC for several years, starting with his time on the Vikings as a visiting student at Oxford in 2011. For the past two seasons, he has been an active executive member while reading for a DPhil. During his time, he has worked tirelessly to rebuild the OUIHC after a rift in the Oxford Ice Hockey world which caused a split in the men’s team. As the captain of the University’s official Men’s Ice Hockey Team he has been able to successfully recruit new players to the team by rebuilding the club’s reputation, manage relationships with influential alumni, coordinate the redesign of the club’s great new website and rebuild a unified hockey club which includes the Women’s Ice Hockey Team and the men’s second team, the Oxford Vikings. Through all of these accomplishments, he has remained cool and composed despite competing against and overcoming the actions of a rival Oxford team.

This candidate deserves to be recognized for his amazing achievements over the past two years because of his humility. He is a gentleman on and off the ice, and his given all of his time to rebuilding men’s ice hockey at Oxford, he is quite happy to do this because he loves the sport and he loves the team. Without Tim, there was a real risk that Men’s Ice Hockey at Oxford would collapse.

Last year was a tough season for Men’s Ice Hockey at Oxford. With two Oxford teams we had competition in recruiting players before the season had even begun, however thanks to Tim, we had our half blue status reinstated and this year, Men’s Ice Hockey at Oxford will dominate the rink once again.’[/fusion_text][images picture_size=”fixed” autoplay=”yes” columns=”1″ column_spacing=”13″ scroll_items=”” show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”yes” lightbox=”yes” class=”” id=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://oxforduniversityicehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/12516396_10153691218961558_1599803290_n-165×300.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://oxforduniversityicehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/12583684_10153691218976558_52787619_n-300×225.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://oxforduniversityicehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Screen-Shot-2016-01-17-at-4.29.51-PM-241×300.png” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://oxforduniversityicehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/sports-awards-invite-2015-213×300.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”https://oxforduniversityicehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/sports-fed-group-awards-300×225.jpg” alt=””][/images]

OUIHC Women’s Blues and Ice Hockey in the UK

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Oxford-Cambridge team photo after the 2015 Varsity Match “We win by building our teams up, NOT by tearing each other down”.

Standing behind the OUIHC booth at fresher’s fair for both the University of Oxford and Brookes University, I was approached by a number of people who were surprised to see us there. “Ice hockey?! There’s a team?!” was a common reaction among the passers-by and enthusiastic students. While it is true that the UK is not necessarily one of the first places one associates with ice hockey, the sport has a deep and rich history here, much of it emerging from Oxford University and its students. In response to those surprised students, I quickly mentioned that yes, there is a team – in fact there are 3 teams that make up the OUIHC, the second oldest hockey club in the world.

For others, however, playing ice hockey was a strange proposition approached with caution. Especially for women, many students assumed that it was a men’s sport that is violent and dangerous. When I mentioned the women’s team, so many were truly surprised and amazed. A few keen people were intrigued (some of which are now devoted members of the club). In fact, women’s ice hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with much of that growth taking place here in the UK. The OUIHC Women’s Blues are proud to be a part of that growth and a part of the history of women’s ice hockey nation-wide.

The OUIHC Women’s Blues were formed in 1981/1982 and were among the first four teams in the British Women’s League founded in 1984. Over the years, we have won several titles, but this year has been exceptional.

Playing in the British University Ice Hockey Association’s (BUIHA) league, we compete against men (and a few other women) in non-checking hockey. For many of those prospective female players at our recruitment booth before the season had even begun, this seemed intimidating and, for some, perplexing. Little did anyone know that we would dominate our division and go on to make history at the National Championships by placing third with only 6 skaters in the final semi-final match. We don’t play “women’s hockey”, we are women who play non-checking ice hockey, alongside men’s and mixed teams. The OUIHC Women’s Blues are not just good ‘for a women’s team’, but we are one of the top teams playing non-checking hockey – period.

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OUIHC Women take on the Bradford Sabres in the 2015 BUIHA National Championships. The OUIHC Women’s Blues won this match 2-1.

Still, as one of the very few all-women’s teams in the BUIHA at any level, we have received mixed responses from other teams and fans over the years. In the past, we had been ‘written off’ by game predictions made by the BUIHA, and we’ve been ridiculed for being ‘an easy win’ by opposing teams (innuendo abound, to our disgust). In the particular match that these insults were flung, based purely on our gender, I am very pleased to report that we destroyed the opposing team 8-0 – the inverse score predicted. This year at Nationals, one of our fans overheard a gentleman in the crowd exclaim that there was no way we would win, again on the basis of our gender. We won that match with only 7 skaters, dominating the game despite the close score.

While it can be difficult playing a male dominated sport, achievements are deeply rewarding and work to improve the reputation of the sport beyond just our league. This year, we are incredibly proud to say that we are the best women’s university team in the UK, beating Cambridge and playing above the Newcastle Wildcats. But it is difficult, especially when we face deeply engrained sexism that is, unfortunately, a part of many team cultures in the sporting world. This fuels us to persist and to be the best we can be, playing the sport we all love. In recent years, we’ve done this with the support of the OUIHC men’s teams who have helped on the ice and off, and who respect us as hockey players and people (a mutual sentiment!).

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OUIHC and CUIHC men supporting women’s ice hockey after the 2015 Varsity Match.

As we look forward to the 2015-2016 season, we are filled with excitement. We’ve come a long way and have made massive strides, year-over-year. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the sport and our role in developing ice hockey nation-wide through our development camp. Our annual camp is open to all female hockey players in the BUIHA, and in 2016, we hope to secure a coach who has experience playing women’s hockey at the national level. While the camp is beneficial for the development of our own team, it is also an important opportunity to develop women’s hockey and a supportive community of women’s ice hockey players across the country.

When recruitment begins and our stall at the fresher’s fairs set up again, I will be behind the table once more looking for recruits for both the men’s and women’s teams. While I’m not sure if ice hockey will ever become as popular here at Oxford as it is in other places, especially in North America, I do hope that one day soon, people will cease to be surprised that women play this ‘men’s’ sport. We play – and we’re damn good.

Varsity Victory for the Women’s Blues

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Blues Varsity Match Winners with logos
2015 OUIHC Women’s Blues Varsity Squad: (from back left): Lea Peppel, Kaylie Smith (A), Rebecca Harding-Smith, Gabriella Smyth, Fiona McKendrick, Jen Brawn, Ellie Park (From middle left): Charlotte Cato, Mel Lam, Lina Perkio (C), Jenn Lawrence, Andrea-Mae Francisco (from bottom left): Stephanie Clarke, Kate Koch

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.

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Mel Lam, defence, receive the Spirit of the Match award for her outstanding sportsmanship and hard work in the 2015 Varsity Match.
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Jenn Lawrence, centre, receives the ‘Player of the Game’ award for her outstanding performance during the 2015 Varsity Match.

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.

OUIHC: our best season on record

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Article published in The Cherwell on February 13, 2015

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Being a women’s team in a male dominated sport can be tough at times. However, the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) Women’s Blues are in the midst of the team’s best season on record. Competing in a league where every other team is a men’s team*, we are currently in first place having beaten all the other teams. In total, there are only three women’s university ice hockey teams in the country, and the other two teams play in the division below Oxford.

While the Women’s team is enjoying a successful season, the Men’s side is looking different with two clubs and two teams both called the Oxford Blues. Oddly, they compete against each other in the top division.

For a long time, the relationship between the Men’s and Women’s Blues had been tense. When the Men’s team decided to end its affiliation with Oxford University’s Sports Federation during the 2012/2013 season, our relationship with them was at an all time low. They eventually formed as the Oxford Ice Hockey Trust, and that left OUIHC without a Men’s Blues team and a Women’s team that had to increase efforts to continue its season.

One of the issues leading to the split was the merchandising agreement between the Sports Federation, Kitlocker and Nike, and the Men’s Blues issues with that at the time have been thoroughly documented by the Oxford Ice Hockey Trust. The Trust has also thoroughly documented the events that followed their objection to the merchandising, which escalated to the point that the Men’s team not only decided to leave OUIHC, but also decided to end their affiliation with the University. The split was an unfortunate series of events.

From the Women’s team’s perspective however, we feel that the Trust’s account of the split doesn’t tell the entire story. One reason for our frustration is that the Men’s team at the time of the split contacted Kitlocker to demand that a ‘W’ (for Women) was added within our OUIHC name, making us OUWIHC. We did not feel that this was an appropriate change or distinction that needed to be made. Additionally, our women’s team felt that extensive sexist behaviour and comments were exhibited and made towards us. Alumni of the team have reported similar experiences from their time in the club. We are frustrated that the Trust’s accounts of the split continue to surface without any mention of these issues, we feel these issues should be included in all accounts, and we want the wider university to know that we now have an OUIHC that is supportive and equal.

Since the split, OUIHC Men’s second team have been developing the Men’s side of the University team. Their efforts have been awarded with re-entry into the division-one league, and they are again recognised by the Sports Federation and hold Blues status. We have a great relationship with the new OUIHC Men’s Blues. Both teams support each other by running off-ice training sessions, volunteering at each other’s games, and meeting for dinners and social events.

However, running a club is difficult when there is a competing club. This competition means that both players and fans are split between them. Having two clubs rather than one means that we are all missing out. However, despite our struggles the OUIHC has a vision for the future. We are hoping to take ice hockey within the University to the next level with more players, stronger first teams and a greater presence within the University. In order to achieve this we need all ice hockey players in Oxford to be united and working towards the same goals. Oxford University already has the top women’s team in the country, and we’d like nothing more than to have the OUIHC Men’s Blues there with us, hopefully in time as a Full Blues sport.

 

Signed,

The OUIHC Women’s Blues

 

*The OUIHC Women’s Blues compete in Division 1 Non-Checking in the BUIHA. While most teams are comprised of men, there are other women playing in the league. The OUIHC Women’s Blues are the only all female team competing in Division 1.