Nipissing announces OUA women’s hockey team

Lace ‘em up ladies; it’s game on at Nipissing University for women’s hockey in 2013.

Nipissing University will ice a women’s hockey team to compete in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) league, beginning play in the 2013-14 season. The university will begin the search for a coach this summer and will start actively recruiting players as soon as possible.

Women’s hockey has enjoyed tremendous growth in Canada over the last 20 years, since it was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1998. Since 2000, Canadian registration has increased by 67.5 per cent, with well over 85,000 female players currently registered to play hockey in Canada. Locally, in the North Bay and District Girls Hockey Association, there were about 14 girls registered in 1995, there are now more than 285 registered players from pre-novice to the Midget level. Currently, there are 29 universities that compete in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women’s Hockey and 11 teams in the OUA.

“We are very excited to be providing our female student-athletes with an opportunity to play hockey at a very competitive level. It is especially meaningful that our students deemed a women’s hockey team a priority for their student experience,” said Vicky Paine-Mantha, president and vice-chancellor (interim). “Offering a women’s team significantly enhances the student experience at Nipissing University.  It also enhances the local community by providing hockey fans some terrific hockey to watch.  Plus, it gives our young female hockey players local role models and perhaps they will aspire to play for the Lakers one day.”

Nipissing now offers men’s and women’s hockey, soccer, volleyball, cross-country running and Nordic skiing.

The team will be funded through Nipissing’s Athletics budget. Community support for student-athletes is a vital component of every sport at Nipissing University. Thanks to programs like Adopt-a-Laker, student-athletes are provided financial support so that they can focus on academics and athletics. The university hopes that the local community will provide support for our varsity women’s hockey team through Adopt-a-Laker. For more information on Adopt-a-Laker, please go to www.adopt-a-laker.ca.