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That's Sports
Girls put icing on the cake!
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
I can remember when I was in grade eight and we had a girl in our class who wanted to be the first female hockey player in the NHL. Kerry Liberty loved hockey that much but she was a bit before her time. In the late 1970's, it was almost unheard of to have woman playing competitive hockey, never mind professional hockey.Well times have changed and if Kerry was in grade eight right now, the odds of her playing pro hockey might be a little greater. Two local girls are hitting the ice and taking Canada's sport south of the border to a different level.
Myria Heinhuis is in her freshman year at Brown University in Rhode Island and is helping the Bears in their campaign at one of the highest levels of women's hockey in the U.S. Heinhuis wears the number 27 jersey and is a solid stay-at-home defender for
the Bears. The Chatham native has one assist in eight games this season.
I can remember when the girls' hockey teams used to call their scores in and her name was in every report and was one of the top scorers on her team every year before she took her hockey trade south of the border. The Bears are a tough Ivy League school which means two things. One, the level of hockey is very high and the other thing is that a solid education is assured.
Most college programs in the US mean that high marks must be maintained or the player will not be playing. Not only is the rigorous hockey program part of Heinhuis' life but a rugged athletic schedule is also tossed in. The Bears are 4-3-1 this season and Heinhuis takes any of her frustrations out on the opposition with 32 penalty minutes.
Heinhuis is not alone in the biggest little state of the union, as she has six other players from Ontario including one girl from Corunna and another from Sarnia. She did make the step from a prep school, Shuttack St Mary's to the College ranks.
Dresden's Tricia Pray is hoping to make the same step from prep school to the college ranks as she is in her rookie year, sporting number 16, at Culver Academy in Indiana. Pray is also a blueliner for her team but is more offensive minded with one goal and six assits in ten games for the Acadamies. Culver has a record of 7-1-2 record this year.
Pray is going through what Heinhuis did a few years ago---leaving her family and friends to start a new life away from home. Most people leave home at 18 or 19 when they are old enough to vote and are considered adults not at the age of 16 or 17.
My contact with Heinhuis was minimal as I met her at a couple of hockey banquets. Pray, on the other hand, I have known for a few years. I have known her mother and father since I was a child and actually spent part of this summer working with her and her brother, Spence, at Dresden Raceway.
If I were a betting man, I think that Tricia will do very well. She seems very pleasant and well grounded. I think that her hockey skills and her intelligence will vault her to a higher level. Culver will actually be in Windsor this Wednesday on a road trip which means
that Pray will get a chance to visit with her family for a few minutes before she gets back to the grind of juggling a hockey and academic schedule.
Heinhuis has the skill to take her game to the next level and may eventually get to the national program while it is still too early to tell with Pray. I think that both young women are more interested in getting some great marks and furthering their education by using hockey than using education to play hockey.
Although Sugar and Spice and all that's nice can be used in both cases, you may want to throw in a couple of body-checks and slap shots for good measure.
Gary Patterson was born and raised in Chatham-Kent. He grew up in Thamesville and now lives in Chatham. Patterson was Sports Director at Beaver Communications an Blackburn Radio for over 15 years. Gary is also the track announcer at Dresden Raceway as well as some appearances at Windsor Raceway. He has played all sports inclduing being a mermber of three OBA Championship baseball teams in Thamesville and has also played hockey and football. Gary still plays golf, slo-pitch and ball hockey and well as the odd game of pick up hockey. Patterson is a passionate Miami Dolphin and Michigan Wolverine football fan. Here are few other details about Gary Patterson: Favourite food: steak, chicken wings, chili or Kenny Tharp\'s famous meatloaf; Favourite non alcoholic drink : Diet Coke; Favourite drink: Scotch, Coor\'s Light; Favourite Sports team : Miami Dolphins/Michigan Wolverines/New York Yankees; Favourite Bar : Bru\'s Room Margate Florida/Pompano Beach Florida; Favourite Bartender : Tanya (Margate), Sarah (Pompano); Favourie Vacataion spot : Pompano Beach Florida; Marital Staus : married with chilren Hockey player : Curtis Jospeh/Todd Bertuzzi; Favourite Football player : Retired Dan Marino, Anthony Thomas; Favourite Basketball player : Steve Nash Favourite Baseball player : Derek Jeter; Favourite colour : Blue; Favourite TV Show : CSI Favourite movie : The Sting, Blue Brothers and Field of Dreams; Favourite song Life Been Good To Me ( Joe Walsh); Favourite Band : Tom Petty/Eagles; Favourite type of Dog: Springer Spaniel; Favourite type of Cat : NONE
