Pandas set to make return to women’s hockey nationals after year’s absence

Pete Yee

STANDING IN THE WAY The Pandas face the number-two seed Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks tonight to open their national tournament in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

After a year-long absence from the national tournament, the Pandas hockey squad makes their return to the national stage today as they take on the Laurier Golden Hawks at nationals in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

The Pandas make their 11th trip to the national tournament after a hiatus in 2009. Falling last season in the conference championship to the Manitoba Bisons meant the end of the Pandas season, putting them in the unfamiliar position of not heading to the national tournament.

"It was awful; I hated it, everyone else did, too," said Pandas head coach Howie Draper on his team's absence from nationals a year ago.

"Each and every person on this team was committed to not having, or experiencing that feeling again, and that's really what drove us to the success we've experienced."

Coming off a thrilling series-clinching win over the Manitoba Bisons last weekend at home, the Pandas won't have any time to relish that victory, as they'll face last year's nationals runners-up in the form of the OUA Champions from Wilfrid Laurier.

"Their system is water-tight. They've got a very fast team and they work very hard, so that in itself will make them very tough competition," Draper said.

"A key going into the game against them is that we're going to have to set the tempo, and once we're up there, we have to make sure that we're executing at a very high level."

Backstopping the Pandas in goal will be conference Second Team All-Star Dana Vinge, who heads into the national tournament after putting up on of her best performances of the year last weekend in Game 2 of the conference championship series against the Bisons.

"She seems very calm and composed, and seems like she's in a really good place which leads me to believe she is feeling quite confident," said Draper of his starting goalie.

"I think she's quite motivated to do the best that she possibly can, given this is her final year with us. She wants to have a strong impact, and wants to leave on a winning note, so I certainly get the sense that motivation will be an easy thing for her and that she'll be playing at the top of her game."

Second on the slate for the Pandas at the national tournament will be the host St. FX X-Women, either Friday night in the case of a loss against Laurier in the opener Thursday, or Saturday in the case of a Pandas win.

For Draper's squad, pivotal in their second game of the tournament will be taking the boisterous St. FX crowd out of the game early, as Alberta will look to silence the hometown fans with an upbeat start.

"They've got the advantage of having the home crowd behind them," Draper said, "and it's going to be a loud crowd, because it's primarily a student town here in Antigonish, so that'll give them a lot of confidence. We have to do our best to set the tempo and take the crowd out of the equation."

The Pandas kick off their search for their seventh national title against Wilfrid Laurier at 10:30 p.m. MST Thursday, with that game along with all the other matchups at the national tournament available online at www.ssncanada.ca.