Reds rebuilt: a look at the return of women's hockey to UNB
Reds will play their first game on Saturday since the women's team was cut by the university in 2008
The UNB women's hockey team is getting ready for its first hockey game on Saturday night. It's been a long process to get the team back on the ice, since the program was cut in 2008.
Two years ago, the team was nothing more than a promise, an order from the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board to reinstate the team. But now it's ready to go.
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The off-ice fight
In 2008, the university demoted the varsity team to club status, greatly reducing the team's funding. At the time, the university blamed a financial crunch.
Sylvia Bryson had just finished her fourth season of hockey at UNB and planned on going back for a fifth.
Bryson was told there was no chance of reinstating the women's team, but she didn't accept that. She filed a human rights complaint against the university for sexual discrimination.
It was a lengthy process, which included an appeal by the university, but in March 2016, the university was ordered to reinstate the team by the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board.
"That was, it is, it's just so vindicating," said Bryson.
After some negotiations, UNB was told to have a team on the ice by the 2018-2019 season.
The new coach
For UNB athletics director John Richard, hiring a coach became priority one. Richard said 41 people applied for the coaching job, and the list was whittled down to eight.
"We wanted someone who is proven, who has coached women's hockey at a high performance level," said Richard. "Ideally, they've shown an ability to recruit and build because this is a build for sure."
And on June 12, 2017, UNB called media to the Richard J. Currie Center to announce it had found that fit. Sarah Hilworth would be the architect of the new UNB roster.
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The 28-year-old had just wrapped up two years coaching at Olds College in Alberta, where she started the program from scratch. That gave her ideas for how to approach her new position.
"I'm a big believer in culture, so not necessarily having that within our girls yet, it's going to be a lot of pressure on myself to show these kids what their experience will be like athletically and academically here on campus," said Hilworth.
"Trying to get everything organized and altogether is going to be a challenge, but having done it before I understand what's coming my way, so it's nothing I can't handle."
Recruiting
On Sept. 1, 2017, UNB had its first official recruit. Paige Grenier signed her letter of intent to play for the Reds.
Though her signature made it official, Grenier's commitment to UNB had been in the works since coach Hilworth got the job.
Grenier is from Olds, Alta., where Hilworth used to coach, and one of the first people the coach told about her new job.
"You know, she had dragged it on a little bit and almost made it sound like she didn't get the job, and I was a little disappointed," said Grenier.
"When she told me that she got the job it was over-the-top excitement, and my mom actually started crying because she knew that it meant I was going out East with Sarah getting that job."
Not all the recruiting was that easy. Hilworth lost some recruits to other East Coast schools. But after signing Grenier, more commitments started filing in.
A new history
On Aug. 31, the team had its first training camp, and work began to get ready for that first game against Mount Allison University.
Hayley Hallihan of Miramichi is excited, and a little nervous about the game on Saturday. When she started her university hockey career a few years ago, playing at UNB wasn't an option.
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Instead she spent two years playing at St. Mary's University in Halifax. She wishes there had been a team at UNB when she was growing up, but now that it's back she's already seeing her team have an impact on the community.
"Sarah has already been going around to different cities in New Brunswick," said Hallihan.
"She's been to my hometown in Miramichi, so I've seen my little sister look up to her, and she's excited to go on the ice and she's excited when I'm on the ice with her and when other girls are on the ice, so it's just really good to give back."
That's one of the the reasons former player Sylvia Bryson didn't quit during her legal battle with the university to get the team back.
Now the team gets a chance at a new history.
"It's a delicate balance where it's, be aware of where it's come from and how it's been built, but also giving them that freedom and ability to make it their own and put their own stamp on it," said Bryson.
On Saturday night, the team hopes to close the book on the past, and start a new story of women's hockey at UNB, and in New Brunswick.
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