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Editor: Norm Nelson Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax: 905-337-5567 email: nnelson@haltonsearch.com yvi ;i )M :si ),\y. . \i 'i <ii. :i< > . 2 ( x >:i · i w SPORTS U-of-T stalwarts gun for national team By Steve Dominey S P EC IA L TO TH E BEA V ER akville's Jill Savin and Lisa Robertson took different paths to the University o f Toronto women's hockey team, but both know where they want to end up-- represent ing Team Canada in the Olympic Games. Savin, a 21-year-old who w ill be entering her fourth year at the University o f Toronto next season, was the team's top goal scorer this past sea son. She tallied 14 goals and 9 assists in 22 Ontario University Athletics games and was named an eastern con ference first team all-star. She started playing hockey when she was nine and at age 11 joined Oakville's girls hockey club, the Hornets, during their inaugural year. Savin continued to play women's hock ey in Oakville, and then on to Toronto and Mississauga, before being recruited to the University o f Toronto's Varsity Blues. Robertson, who's also 21. joined the sport at age 7. playing boys hockey with the Oakville Rangers until she was 16. The 5'. 6" goaltender says playing with the guys helped her devel op her game, eventually paving the way to the Toronto Jr. Aeros. She played there for three seasons, including one with Savin, winning the provincial jun ior A championship in her last year before joining the Blues in O Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver 2001. Robertson, a physical education stu dent who w ill be entering her third year at university next season, says Savin made her transition to university much smoother. " Jill introduced me to a lot o f the players and really made it easier for me to break the ice at the start o f the year." she says. Savin was also glad to see a familiar face. Despite being on different com petitive teams throughout most o f their childhoods, the two friends played together at Oakville Trafalgar High School for a few years. They now share a house in down town Toronto and a desire to make it to the next level. For Robertson, who was in a back-up goaltender capacity for the past two years, the logical goal is to start for the Blues next season. Robertson says with the graduation o f last year's starter, she is looking for ward to carrying more o f the workload. Aside from playing a handful o f exhi bition games, she started six league games in 2001-02 and seven this past season. She has yet to lose a game, posting a 0.53 goals against average and a .946 save percentage last season. Robertson also hopes to be given the chance to start for Canada's under22 team next year. Unlike Savin, who turns 22 in May, she has one more year o f under-22 eligibility. Last year, while the rest o f the under-22 tryout camp participants were invited in July. Robertson was only asked to partake a week prior to the late-August camp when another goalie became too sick to attend. After not being on ice the whole summer, she managed to make the DYNAMIC DUO! O a k v ille residents J i l l Sa vin and L isa Robertson helped U-of-T to an undefeated season in O n ta rio and (o overtim e in the national cham pionship game, as well as being called up for national team service. team as a third goalie and traveled to Lake Placid for exhibition games against the U.S. where Canada won the best-of-three series with two wins and a lie. Unfortunately, she was left o ff the roster and unable to travel to Germany this past February for the European A ir Canada Cup. Team Canada went unde feated at the four-team tournament, winning games over Germany. Switzerland and Finland. "The camp was short notice, but I was excited to be there, so I gave it my all and it paid off," says Robertson. " Even though I didn't get to play, mak ing the team was a big first step to my ultimate goal o f making Team Canada." Savin, who played in all o f Canada's games, also valued the expe rience o f what was her first and last year on the under-22 team. However, it was another team that made the biggest impression on the 5' , 5 " for ward last year. In January, Savin and another o f her four roommates, who plays in the National Women's Hockey League with the Toronto Aeros, had the oppor tunity to participate in the last tryout camp before the Team Canada women's team would be selected for this year's World Championships. The tournament was set to begin on A pril 2 in Beijing, China, before being can celled due to the SARS scare. Savin and her roommate were asked to be extras by Team Canada's head coach Karen Hughes, who also coaches Savin at the University o f Toronto. because they were part o f the under-22 program and already in Toronto where the camp was being held. But after a few players suffered injuries. Savin found herself playing in both evaluation games. " I t's a much higher pace o f hockey and competition." she says. " It really opened my eyes and showed me where I needed to be to move on to the next step." Savin was also glad to play along side Team Canada players, not just against them as she did in November 2001's Podium Games in Calgary. There, she was selected as part o f an under-22 all-star team that was put together to play three games against Team Canada to help them prepare for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Utah. " Now I know not only what it takes to play against women at that level, but with them," she says. Savin, who double majors in sociol ogy and crime and deviance, also learned that the national team's dress ing room was a unique society o f its own. " You see women close to your age and you think that could be me, but then you see women in their 30's," she says. " I t's like. wow. they' re still at a high level at that age and you wonder and wish you could be like that in the future." For now though. Savin is focused on the present. " I feel making Team Canada is a step I could get to," she says. " I ' m nowhere near it right now, but I think I could be in a few more years. Karen Hughes, who has coached the Blues since 1993 and Canada's women's national team since 2002, agrees with her star forward. " 1 think there are opportunities for both Jill and Lisa." she says. Hughes says Savin has improved her game over the last three years, but still needs to work on her strength in order to lake ihe next step. " She's improved her speed and shot and has become more creative with more moves," says the coach. "Jill is an intense competitor and i f she contin ues to work on her game. I think she could be a great player." Her praise is equally high for Robertson, who she describes as a quiet, well-liked teammate. " Lisa gets stronger technically each year." Hughes says. "She moves better, plays ihe puck smarter and has a good set position with a calm, steady demeanor in net. She just needs more experience." Hughes w ill continue to watch the Oakville women improve, as Savin and Robertson have two and three years o f university hockey e ligibility remaining, respectively, if they both decide to stay a fifth year at university. From the sounds o f the two players, the more years they are coached by Hughes, the better it w ill be for each o f their careers. Neither o f the two believe having Hughes as a coach w ill make it easier for them to make the women's national team, but Savin admits there are certain benefits. " I t's an advantage to have her look ing at you every day," she says. "She gets a sense o f where you improved and what you're capable o f doing." Robertson echoes those sentiments. " With her experience, she knows what it takes for a player and team to do their best," she says. " She is harder on us and that's good because it allows us to improve." There is not much more room for improvement when talking about the Blues. The team won the OU A finals and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Women's Hockey Championships in Savin's first year. They then lost the OUA finals in 2001-02 to Laurier, only to avenge the loss this year with a 3-0 finals win. Savin was named player o f the game, scoring a big shorthanded goal to deflate Laurier's Golden Hawks. The Blues ended their season unde feated in Ontario (20-0-2) before suf fering a crushing overtime defeat (5-4) at the hands o f the University o f Alberta Pandas at the CIS finals in Regina. However, not before Savin assisted on a goal that put the game into the extra frame with only 18 sec onds left in the third period. Both Savin and Robertson are look ing forward to getting back to the nationals next year. However, in the future, their ultimate goal is to trade in the blue and white sweaters for red and white, and play on Team Canada's Olympic team together. When Robertson is asked if the two friends have a little friendly competi tion with each other in practice, she replies. " N o...w ell we do bug each other a bit." Local NWHL stars setting up hockey camp W hile the National Women's Hockey League (N W H L) season drew to a close this past weekend, two local N W H L stars were launching the first season o f their new hock ey summer school. N W H L veterans Donna-Lynn Rosa and Tara M cKay are now registering students for their `Shooting Stars Hockey School', set to begin on July 2 at the River Oaks rec centre. " A t the end o f the school, if each student can say that she has learned one crucial new thing, or improved one key skill, then w e'll have achieved our goal as coaches," said Rosa, whose Number 9 Brampton Thunder jersey was retired in 2001 as a tribute to her fan-favourite performances. " We want them to leave with that sense o f accomplishment." The accomplishments need not be limited to those who are already experienced hockey players. " We're also reaching out to all different levels o f hockey players, regardless o f age or skill." added McKay, an Oakville resident who now plays for the N W H L Brampton Thunder, and won provincial gold and nation al silver in 2003. They were, however, bounced out o f the N W H L playoffs by the Oakville Ice. For $200, students w ill be enrolled in a three-day all-female hockey school, July 2, 3 and 4. The three days w ill include on-ice ses sions to help improve skating, shooting, pass ing, puck control, tactical and team play. O ff-ice sessions w ill include cardiopumped activities such as soccer, frisbee foot ball and relay races for team building. Chalk talks w ill focus on game strategy, physical health and wellness. "Both Donnie and I are very comfortable coaching," said McKay o f her friend and col league. " because we have a combination o f playing experience and teaching." Rosa, age 37, was the first Ontario Women's Hockey Association (O W H A ) player to receive a full scholarship to an American university, where she earned her Bachelor o f Science and opened the flood(See 'NWHL' page D3) Donna-Lvnn Kosa Tara M c K a y f Canadian Tire's Athlete of the Week Canadian Tire and Oakville... A Winning Combination! D UN D AS & TR A FA LG A R ROAD 400 Dundas St. East · 2 5 7 -TIR E STORE HOURS: Mon. -Fri. 8:00am-9pm · Sat. 8:00am-6:00pm Sun. 10am-6pm Cory Paterson Cory Paterson earned a silver medal at the provincial gymnastics championships. He was competing in the 8-9 year-old, level one division. Rep and house league reports and press releases can now be sent to the Oakville Beaver Sports Department via emall. It's ... nnelson@haltonsearch.com. O A K TO W N S H O P P IN G P LA Z A 550 K err Street · 8 4 4 -0 2 0 2 STORE HOURS: Mon. -Fri. 8:00am-9pm · Sat. 8:00am-6:00pm Sun. 10am-6pm Way to go !!! Visit your local Canadian Tire Store to receive your Gift Certificate.