HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-11-9, Page 18Page 18
Times -Advocate, November 9, 1994
This Week in Sports...
• Hawks, Irish - page 21
• Minor hockey roundup - page 22
Sidelines
by
Fred
Groves
Goodbye to
a great lady
We had to say goodbye to a
dear friend last week, one
who will be sadly missed.
Although Grace Farquhar
was a very familiar face at
the arenas where her grand-
sons Steve and David played
hockey, she was very well
known throughout the com-
munity.
When we say goodbye to
someone it is with great sor-
row that we do so. We feel
angry, cheated and alone. I'll
miss Grace, although I admit
I didn't know her as well as
many others in Exeter. I have
my own reason for missing
her.
She was a sportsperson.
One who loves sports and
one who would go and sit or
stand in cold arenas just to
make sure her everlasting
support was always there.
Just before my father died, I
remember one very important
thing he said to me. Son,
when you are teaching your
own child to skate, please
look over to the boards be-
cause I will be there watching
you.
He gave me a hug and that
was the last real conversation
we had.
I hadn't really thought of
that until I saw David and
Steve at their grandmother's
funeral . The brothers have
always been inspired by the
support of Gr. ce, now, hope-
fully, they wil. be even more
SO.
My heart truly goes out to
David, Steve, Becci, Lynne,
Bill and Linda as I sit and
write this farewell to Grace
Farquhar. Although I did not
know the rest of the family,
through the ones I do know,
it is easy to say Grace was
loved by them all.
Many, many years ago, re-
porters in the big city news-
papers like Toronto and New
York, began their careers by
writing obituaries. They'd
call up the family, somehow
get a few words of sadness to
quote, and write up a story.
Perhaps I could have done a
news story on her, however I
felt this format was more per-
sonable.
The South Huron Rec-
reation Centre will not be the
same without Grace Far-
quhar. While we often say a
person's face is cast in stone
because of it's firmness and
determinating look, for Grace
her face will always be seen
in the minds of those who go
to the arena just to enjoy life
like she did.
To the Farquhar family, if
these words in the Times -
Advocate are upsetting please
except my deepest apology. It
is my own way of saying
goodbye to a great lady.
Bye Grace....
From the sidelines:...In last
week's edition a picture of
Rachael and Jane McPherson
said they are with Tyndall's
Karate, this was incorrect as
they Eire with South Huron
Martial Arts Club.
A
Panthers three -peat
The -queens of the field celebrated on Saturday in Kingston after beating Earl of March 3-1.
Field hockey gold medal will go home to Belgium
KINGSTON - Genevieve Calay
had to be the happiest girl on the
South Huron District High School
girls field hockey team Saturday af-
ternoon.
That's something when you con-
sider all of them were pretty happy
as they celebrated their third title in
a row -- a feat that's never been ac-
complished. But for Calay, it was
something she had never dreamed
of.
She came to Canada in Sep-
tember from her native Belgium as
part of an exchange program. Al-
though she did not see much action
on the field, she wore the Panthers
red and black colours proud and
cheered just as Loud as any of them.
"It's great, it's my best ex-
perience, I'm very, very, happy,"
said Calay moments after she was
presented with her gold medal.
When she goes back to her coun-
try, Calay won't desert the Panthers
and will no doubt hold them very
dear to her heart for a long time.
"Next year I'll write to them and
see how they are doing."
And what about next year? Will
the Panthers win again? Can they,
and do they want to?
They started the fall having lost
SHDHS makes history,
win three straight titles
Stories and photo
by
Fred Groves T -A staff
KINGSTON - In the shadow of one of the most
historic buildings in Ontario, the South Huron Dis-
trict High School Panthers made history themselves.
It's never been dont in the history of OFSAA
field hockey. No school has ever won three straight
provincial high school girls field hockey champion-
ships- until now.
Saturday afternoon, while tl,e rain drizzled and
Kingston's Old Fort Henry looked down from
above, the Panthers beat Ottawa's Earl of March Li-
ons 3-1.
The Lions battled Lome Park through three over-
time periods after they were tied 1-1 after regu-
lation, eventually upsetting the Spartans. Lorne
Park went on to beat Agincourt 4-1 to tape home the
bronze medal.
The two-time defending champion Panthers
came into the tournament with a 36-1-4 overall
record and ranked first in the 16 -team tourna-
ment. The Lions, on the other Nand, were the
Cinderella story of the tournament •- coming in
unranked.
"It was nice to play a different team," said Exeter
coach Jim Workman of Earl of March.
The Panthers had expected to take on the second
ranked team, Lorne Park, who the Panthers edged 1-
0 a year ago in Exeter.
"The national capital is very unpredictable. They
play a lot of indoor and club level," said Workman
of the Lions. The Ottawa area team was somewhat
of an unknown identity to him.
South Huron opened the tournament on Thursday
with a 2-1 win over Syndenham. They went on to
blank Parry Sound 4-0 and finished pool play un-
defeated• with a 2-0 win over eighth ranked King
City.
Friday, in the quarter -finals, the Panthers beat
host LaSalle 1-0 which pitted them against Agin-
court in the semi-finals early Saturday moming.
In that game, it was 1-0 in a wink of an eye as
Cara Gardner scored her first of back-to-back near
identical goals off of short corner opportunities.
Miners scored near the end of the half to make it 3-
0 and then, in the second half, she added another
one when she pounced on a rebound.
"We dominate the middle of the field and our for-
wards are devastating," said Workman whose Pan-
thers have won four titles in the past six years.
In the final, the Lions were a little tougher than
expected as they came back from trailing 1-0. Min-
ers scored the opener when she was sent through the
middle on a nice pass from Kim Farquhar.
When Earl of March scored, it was an unfamiliar
thud to the ears of South Huron goalie Jana Web-
ster. Only two balls got past her all tournament.
After backstopping the Panthers to two titles,
Webster said she may be moving onto college next
fall.
"I'm going to come back and watch it," she said of
staying a true Panthers fan. Besides Webster and
forward Brenyn Baynham, South Huron is expected
to keep everyone around to look for a fourth title in
a row next year.
It was 2-1 against the Lions when the Panthers
changed their strategy on a short comer. Baynham
sent it to Farquhar first who waited before sending
it across to Gardner in the middle.
Hanging onto a slim one -goal margin, Miners col-
lided with the Lions goalie, fell into the mud and,
while her teammates cheered, watched the ball go
into the net to clinch the title.
"1 was tired, I was exhausted. It was a little slip-
pery out there," said Miners.
Likc the rest of the Panthers, she didn't know
what to expect from the Lions but was nevertheless
up to the challenge of three -pealing.
"They are from Ottawa and they didn't go into any
tournaments, no one had seen them. I would rather
have played these guys (then Lorne Park)," she add-
ed.
Who knows? Maybe the Panthers and the Lions
will meet again.
five of last year's starters to gradua-
tion. This year, only veteran Bre-
nyn Baynham and maybe goalie
Jana Webster will be moving on.
Things continue to look bright for
coach Jim Workman's girls in the
future.
For Cara Gardner, and eight others,
this is their third straight title. For
rookies like grade 9 student Va-
nessa Layc, it was the first taste of
success and a glimpse at the chal-
lenge of carrying on the tradition.
"In Grade 9 I didn't know what
OFSAA was," said Gardner. "This
year we knew we had to work
hard."
"This is the most exciting," she
said of the three titles she now has.
"I wanted it real bad. We're going
for four, we know it."
Gardner had a couple of nasty
bruises to take homc to Exeter as
souvenicrs; one \on her foncead
from a misplaced shot and the other
on her leg.
When asked what she liked best
about the weekend, Layc said,
"coming to Kingston and being part
of a championship team."
Immediately after the game,
Gardner was once again asked to
consider joining the provincial field
hockey team. Both Baynham and
Toni DeJong have gained a lot of
experience through Ontario's pro-
gram.
1
"I've got ringette until February,"
said Gardner who is on Ontario's
under -17 ringette team. "I'm not
quitting ringette."
One of the biggest surprises of
this year's team had to be the play
of Preslee Maver. On her second
straight championship team, Maver
took on a big responsibility of be-
coming the team's sweeper.
The sweeper is the last player be-
tween the opposition and the goal-
ie. While she wasn't that busy dur-
ing the regular season, Maver got
her full share of mud in the face
from diving on the ground at OF -
SAA.
"We play as a team and everyone
helps out," said Maver. And what
did she think of the Panthers win-
ning the whole thing again?
"It was easier than last year. We
focused and we knew we could do
it.
As the bus rolled away from
Kingston's Royal Military College
and the Panthers remained queens
of the field, one could almost hear
the echoes of their chants - "O000h
we feel so good", and their fa-
vourite song "The Braided bunch".
But also heard were some very
inspring and memorable words.
"It feels awesome, really good,"
said Grade 9 player Lori Richard-
son.
A look back at the 1994
OFSAA champions
• OFSAA goal scorers - Danielle Miners (10),
Cara Gardner (4), JoDee Rowe, Kim Farquhar.
Goals For 16, Goals Against 2
• Overall record for 1994, 42-1-3. Over two
years that's 67-2-6, Over three years they are 91-3-
11, that's why they are the best ir. Ontario.
• 13 straight Huron -Perth Conference titles,
eight straight Western Ontario Secondary School
Association titles, third straight Ontario Federation
of Schools Athletic Association title and fourth in
six years.
• Although she had a broken foot, Amanda Gla-
vin had her uniform on at OFSAA and was very
supportive of her teammates.
• Belgian exchange student Genevieve Calay
was very happy to win a gold medal.
• Several parents made the trip to Kingston and
braved the damp weather. The girls were very glad
they had the support.
• While they lost five starters last year, South
Huron only say good bye to captain Brenyn Bayn-
ham and Jana Wcbstcr (maybe).
• Seven of the teams at OFSAA last year in 13x•
cter returned to rho tournament in Kinston.
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