Headrick joins New Brunswick squad for final season of university eligibility
By Sam Laskaris
GARDEN RIVER FIRST NATION— Jana Headrick will be resuming her university hockey career.
But the 21-year-old Garden River First Nation member will not be returning to the defending Ontario women’s champions, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
Headrick, who plays defence, had spent the past four years with the Varsity Blues. She completed her requirements to earn a kinesiology degree from U of T in late April.
Headrick, however, is not finished with her university educational/athletic career. She has been accepted into the University of New Brunswick’s two-year Masters of Arts in Sport and Recreation Studies program.
Since she also has a fifth and final year of Canadian university athletic eligibility remaining, Headrick is hoping to suit up for the UNB Reds during the 2020-21 campaign.
The Reds play in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS), an eight-team circuit featuring squads from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Headrick said she had considered earning a master’s degree from U of T in either public health or professional kinesiology. But she did not apply to either of those programs.
She did, however, apply and was accepted into the master’s public health program at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. But she turned down that offer once she was accepted by UNB, based in the provincial capital of Fredericton.
“I really like the fact it offers an internship,” she said of the UNB program. “You have a choice between doing a thesis or an internship. With the internship, which is what appeals to me, you still have to write a major report.”
UNB head coach Sarah Hilworth is thrilled Headrick will be joining her roster.
“She comes with a great amount of experience and will help elevate our team to the next level,” she said.
Headrick, known for her defensive prowess, appeared in 24 regular season contests with the Varsity Blues and chipped in offensively with five points, including one goal.
She also helped U of T win its Ontario championship and advance to the national championships, held in March in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
The Varsity Blues ended up playing just one game at the Canadian tournament before they were forced to return home. That’s because the national event was cancelled after one day due to the increasing amount of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country at the time.
Hilworth added Headrick will bring plenty of positive attributes to the Reds.
“Jana has been well-coached, is a natural leader and has the ability to keep the game simple and smart,” she said. “We expect her to be a shut-down defender that will control the back end.”
UNB finished fourth in the AUS regular season standings this past season by posting a record of 18-9-1.
Headrick is keen to join the Reds and provide some leadership.
“Next season is only UNB’s third season in the AUS,” she said. “I think they’ve done well so far.”
Headrick is hoping COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted and that university sports will commence as scheduled.
“We had a meeting with the coach at the end of April,” she said. “She was pretty optimistic the season would start. But she doesn’t know if it will start on time.”
Headrick said she has already started to think about what she would do if UNB only played a considerably shortened 2020-21 season.
Since she is planning to be at UNB for two years, she could potentially sit out this coming campaign if its start was considerably delayed. And if the sporting world had hopefully improved, she would be able to play a full 2021-22 season.
“I’ve been going back and forth on that with my parents,” she said. “And I’m hoping I don’t have to make that choice.”
Headrick will become the second member of her family to play university hockey in eastern Canada. Her older brother, Owen, 22, is gearing up for his third season with the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers.
Owen Headrick was recently selected as UPEI’s male athlete of the year for his efforts during the 2019-20 season.