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| Ringette player Lauren Morse is a first-year science student. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
C A N A D A聽聽 G A M E S
Even though the Town of Windsor in the Annapolis Valley makes a claim to being the birthplace of hockey, hockey鈥檚 origins are very much in dispute as a made-in-Canada game. Some even trace the sport鈥檚 beginning to ancient Mesopotamia鈥攂ut then, they may be skating on thin ice.
On the other hand, there鈥檚 no arguing the origins of Canada鈥檚 other team sport on ice鈥攔ingette. First introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario, ringette was developed as an on-ice skating game for girls.
At AV俱乐部, the sport has finally got a toe-hold; it was just introduced as a club sport last term and the fledgling team competed in the University Challenge Tournament at the University of Western Ontario, coming in a respectable fourth.
As well, three of Dal鈥檚 student-athletes鈥攕econd-year nursing student Lily Barton, first-year engineering student Krista Vey and first-year science student Lauren Morse鈥攈ave been named to Nova Scotia鈥檚 team for the Canada Games. On the Canada Games program since 1991, ringette will be played during the first week of the games at Cole Harbour Place.
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| Lily Barton is a second-year nursing student.(Nick Pearce Photo) |
鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to be a part of such a big event,鈥� says Lily Barton, 19, who hails from Ottawa, Ont. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to be able to represent this place.鈥�
With its equipment and numbers, ringette may look like hockey on the surface, but the similarities end there. Ringette players tend to compare their sport to lacrosse or basketball鈥攕ports where possession is key.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a possession sport: you have the ring, you keep the ring, you guard the ring,鈥� says Brent Dempsey, coach of Nova Scotia鈥檚 Canada Games team, after a recent Sunday afternoon practice at AV俱乐部鈥檚 Memorial Arena. 鈥淚t鈥檚 actually quite different. I think it has more of a flow to it. It鈥檚 fast-paced and a nicer game to watch.鈥�
Teams are comprised of 11 to 17 players, with six skaters on the ice: a goalie, two defense, a centre and two forwards. The object of the game is to score by shooting the ring in the opposing team鈥檚 net. And of course, trying hard at the same time to prevent the other team from scoring.
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| Krista Vey is a first year engineering student. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
The key is to gain possession, by getting the ring on your stick while skating at breakneck speeds. 鈥淚t becomes second nature,鈥� says Ms. Barton with a shrug.
鈥淵ou just learn how to do it basically because you鈥檝e done it so much,鈥� adds Ms. Vey. The 18-year-old from Sackville, N.S. has been playing ringette since she was five.
The women, who all play on area house league teams, would like to see AV俱乐部鈥檚 club team strengthened and to share in the ice time at Memorial Rink. But they admit it鈥檚 hard to find other university teams in the Maritimes to play against; the sport tends to be more popular in central and western Canada at the university level than here.
It just makes playing at the Canada Games all the sweeter.
鈥淲e grew up to love it,鈥� says Ms. Morse, 19, from Berwick, N.S. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 ringette all the way.鈥�
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