BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Frances Losier and Megan Pitura share a
common love for the game of ringette and wanted to take that
passion to a higher level.
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It took a lot of hard work but
Frances Losier (left) and Megan Pitura organized a new
university-affiliated ringette club. |
This past summer, the opportunity landed
right in Losier's lap.
She received an email from the organizer of
the Ringette University Challenge Cup asking if she was
interested in getting a team ready for the event.
Losier, a Laurentian University student, then
tried to find players interested in a quest for the cup.
Through a friend, she found Pitura, and
discovered she was just as excited to put together a team to
take a stab at the championship.
After a lot of hard work, the women were able
to get university affiliation through the Laurentian University
Student's General Association, and voila, the Laurentian
University Ringette Club was born.
"We hit some bumps along the way, but it was
all worth it because we get to play the game we love," said
Losier, a Kapuskasing native.
In no time, the team easily found other
ringette players from the university to fill out roster spots.
The team features 14 skaters and one goalie.
"We thought it would be interesting to do,"
said Pitura. "It's never happened before, so it's a unique
opportunity for the girls involved."
The University Challenge Cup takes place in
Winnipeg from Jan. 2-4, 2005. Teams from British Columbia,
Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario will attend.
Pitura, a Valley East native, sees this
championship as a way of laying the foundation for future
opportunities.
"It's important because it might help keep
some girls in Sudbury longer, who might otherwise go to a
different school with a ringette team," said Pitura. "For the
younger players coming up, then they can have something to look
forward to when they go to university."
Ringette is a tremendous team game.
"The great thing about ringette is that
everyone gets to participate," said Losier. "It's team
oriented. You can't have one superstar to win games because you
can't go end-to-end. It's also a fun sport because everybody
that plays is very passionate about the game."
The newly minted team plans to do some
fundraising to reach Winnipeg.
"We're pumped to get it done," said Pitura.
"We are going there hoping to win, and that's all there is to
it. We are not going there to lose because it's
costing a whole bunch of money and
time."
