Top women's teams to face off Jan. 6-8.
The 38th annual Concordia-Theresa Humes Women's Hockey Tournament will feature five of the CIS's top ranked teams, including the defending national champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, when the action gets under way Friday afternoon.
The Golden Hawks are currently the top ranked team in the nation with a 12-1-1 record playing in the OUA. Challenging Laurier will be the No. 3-ranked McGill Martlets and the host Concordia Stingers, who are ranked fourth.
The Stingers finished the first half on a five-game winning streak, including a highly-charged 4-3 victory over the McGill Martlets on Nov. 27.
Also from the top 10 are the Queen's Golden Gaels, who are ranked No. 9, and the 10th-ranked Toronto Varsity Blues.
"It's a good way to start the second half of the season," says Concordia head coach Les Lawton. "Playing the best teams in Canada helps set the pace as you begin to prepare for the playoffs. I'm looking forward to seeing what the competition has to offer."
The Carleton Ravens, Ottawa Gee-Gees and Dawson College Blues round out the field. Games for Day 1 of the tournament are as follows:
* McGill vs. Dawson - 2 p.m.
* Wilfrid Laurier vs. Carleton - 4:30 p.m.
* Queen's vs. Concordia - 7 p.m.
* Toronto vs. Ottawa - 9:30 p.m.
On Day 2, the winners from Day 1 play semifinals at 12:30 or 5:30 p.m. The losing teams move to the consolation side of the draw and play at 10 a.m. or 3 p.m.
On the final day, the championship game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The tournament is named after Theresa Humes, who has been instrumental in making women's sports and recreational activities a proud tradition at Concordia University.
Theresa began working in the Department of Recreation and Athletics in 1975. Her first responsibility was women's intramurals, where she was inspired by the eagerness of the students and their commitment to fitness. In 1978, she took over the duties of Director of Women's Athletics. She pushed for excellence and equality in women's sports in an era when it was not fashionable to do so. Under her tutelage women's programs not only survived but flourished.
While Theresa took great pride in the accomplishments of all the teams, women's hockey always held a special place in her heart. In 1985, the women's hockey team honored her by naming its prestigious annual tournament after her.
