Headrick and U of T hockey teammates travelled to Charlottetown for nationals

By Sam Laskaris

TORONTO – Things were discouraging for Jana Headrick and the University of Toronto hockey squad this past Christmas.

Headrick, a member of Garden River First Nation, and her teammates were one spot out of a playoff position, occupying ninth place in their 13-squad Ontario women’s university league during the Christmas break.

But the U of T Blues managed to turn things around in the second half of the season and finished on an upbeat note with an appearance at their national championships.

The eight-team Canadian tournament concluded on March 17 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

U of T was able to qualify for the nationals because of a strong second half to its season. Thanks in part to an eight-game winning streak, the Blues ended up finishing third in their league standings.

U of T then enjoyed some playoff success and ended up winning the silver medal in its league, thus earning a spot into the nationals.

“I think in the first half of the season, people were still trying to get used to each other,” Headrick said, explaining her club’s disappointing start to the season. “And we had some injuries which didn’t help.”

At the nationals, the Blues ended up being the lowest ranked squad, but they came rather close to pulling off an upset in their opening match, losing 3-2 against top-ranked University of Alberta.

“It was probably one of the best games we played all year,” Headrick said. “We were upset we were the eighth seed. I think that helped us. We wanted to show everybody that we belonged there.”

The top four rankings at the Canadian tournament were reserved for squads that had won their respective leagues.

Though they lost their first contest at the nationals, the Blues managed to win their next outing, edging Fredericton’s St. Thomas University 2-1 in a consolation semi-final match.

With the victory, the Blues advanced to the consolation final against the University of Manitoba, last year’s national champions. Manitoba ended up winning the consolation crown with a 2-0 triumph.
Headrick, a 20-year-old who is in her third season at U of T, was pleased with her team’s efforts at the nationals.

“I think we came out strong,” she said. “I didn’t think a lot of people had high expectations for us.”

Headrick, who plays defence, was also thrilled with her own performances during the 2018-19 campaign.

“I’m really happy with my year,” she said. “This is probably the strongest year I’ve ever had. The team’s success obviously had a lot to do with that.”

Headrick, who was on the Blues’ second defensive pairing, said she was given greater responsibilities with the club this season, including additional power play action.

She appeared in 24 regular season contests and earned five points, including one goal. She added three assists in her seven playoff appearances.

Headrick had plenty of familiar faces in the stands cheering her on in Charlottetown.

Her older brother Owen was a rookie this season with the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers men’s hockey team, which plays its home games in Charlottetown.

Headrick’s parents, Anne and Dave, and her three other siblings, Nathan, Mya and Evan, also travelled to P.E.I for the tournament.

Headrick’s cheering section also included her grandparents and an aunt.

The University of Guelph Gryphons, the squad that beat U of T in the Ontario final, ended up winning the nationals as well.

Guelph blanked Montreal’s McGill University 1-0 in Sunday’s gold-medal game.