Hawks off to playoffs on high
Beth Mullen

"Pure and utter domination." That is how Hawk Superfan Shari Decaire described the performance of the Laurier women’s hockey team during their last regular season game at the Bubble on Sunday night.

Surrounded by overwhelming Hawk spirit in the stands, the women controlled the flow of the game from the outset, handing the visiting Guelph Gryphons a 5-1 defeat.

"The whole team contributed, and that is the key for us to do well," commented third-year Hawk forward Caroline Hall. Hall was instrumental in this victory, netting two second period goals that established a comfortable lead going into the third.

Stellar goaltending put forth by four-year veteran Charmaine Boteju consistently highlighted Hawk play throughout the night.

"There were three key saves in the first period that gave us momentum," noted assistant coach Chris Fiore.

This extreme goaltending effort displayed by Boteju was an essential component of the Hawk defense. With this support in hand, Donna Forbes and Lisa Backman worked together to score the first goal 6:05 into the game. After getting a hold of the puck off the glass, Forbes passed it to Backman in front of the net to score.

After leaving a strong first period in their wake, the Hawks came out confident in the second. The women maintained their initial intensity and scored three goals increasing their lead to 4-0.

Receiving a sharp pass from team member Lisa Backman, Heather Hossie scored the first goal of the second. Following this play, Caroline Hall scored the next two goals; the first being an unassisted slapshot off the left post from just inside the blue line and the second, almost an exact duplicate of the first, assited by fellow goal scorer Hossie.

Although the third period didn’t prove to be as eventful, the Hawks didn’t hesitate to respond quickly to the single Gryphon point with a goal of their own. Backman scored her second of the game off a skilled pass from Heather Allan. This goal earned the "Backman Slide" through center ice as it finished off the score of this Hawk victory and the regular season points.

Seeing as the Hawks will face Guelph in the first round of the OUA playoffs, coach Josh Batly explains the Hawk strategy behind scoring against the Gryphons: "We must attack and exploit their weaknesses."

Specifically referring to the semi-final game in Guelph next weekend, Batly also mentions, "I am glad that it’s there; the ice-surface is big and Guelph has a slow defense." With Cheryl Pounder returning from her time with Team Canada, Batly further comments, "Cheryl makes a good team better. Having her back instantly improves our defense."

The players are looking forward to the OUA’s and the possibility of meeting the Toronto Varsity Blues. As Caroline Hall notes, "We are all well now (from the flu) and our confidence is building up." The women’s team is hoping to come out of the OUA’s with a CIAU birth.

While the Toronto team may be an intimidating opponent as a result of past losses, the Hawks will approach the encounter with drive and motivation. This will be an important game for the team, but the initial game against Guelph, "cannot be overlooked."

A victory against Guelph will secure them a spot in the CIAU’s, and one against Toronto will determine their ranking going into the National Tournament.

With these factors coming into play, the women’s hockey team is a sure bet for success, in one of their best seasons ever.

Speaking on behalf of the fans and their expectations from the Hawks in the playoffs, Superfan Decaire comments, "We expect nothing but gold!"