NovemBerR
      19,
      2004
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      e
      11
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
        
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ryan
      Gallant
     
     
      Managing
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      only
      the
      second
      time
      since
     
     
      its
      inception,
      a
      UPEI
      student
      has
      won
     
     
      the
      Gail
      Wilson
      Award,
      a
      Canada-wide
     
     
      athletic
      decoration
      that
      recognizes
     
     
      athletes
      who
      display
      exceptional
      human
     
     
      qualities
      on
      and
      off
      the
      field,
      while
     
     
      playing
      an
      essential
      role
      in
      the
      overall
     
     
      performance
      of
      their
      team.
     
    

    
     
      Moa
      Ut
      een
     
     
      O’Connor,
      a
      fifth
      year
     
     
      English
      Honours
      student
     
     
      has
      played
      on
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Field
      Hockey
      team
      for
      all
     
     
      of
      her
      five
      years
      here,
      after
     
     
      graduating
      from
      Bluefield
     
     
      High
      where
      she
      played
      an
     
     
      integral
      role
      on
      her
      High
     
     
      School
      team.
      Now
      22,
     
     
      O’Connor
      has
      become
      an
     
     
      anchor
      on
      the
      UPEI
      squad,
      leading
      her
     
     
      team
      by
      example
      and
      forming
      the
     
     
      foundation
      of
      a
      core
      defensive
      unit
      in
     
     
      the
      backfield.
      Her
      passion
      for
      the
      game
     
     
      has
      proved
      instrumental
      in
      motivating
     
     
      teammates
      in
      the
      dressing
      room
      and
     
     
      getting
      the
      job
      done
      on
      the
      field.
      She
     
     
      cites
      demonstrations
      of
      teamwork,
     
     
      “Practices
      and
      games
      when
      my
     
     
      teammates
      and
      I
      are
      going
      full
      out
      —
     
     
      pushing
      through
      drills,
      hammering
      the
     
     
      shots
      on
      net,
      losing
      track
      of
      the
      number
     
     
      of
      sprints
      we
      are
      doing...
      wishing
      we
     
     
      deep
      down
      that
      it
      is
      making
      us
      better
     
     
      athletes.”,
      as
      being
      some
      of
      her
     
     
      proudest
      moments.
     
    

    
     
      While
      proud
      of
      her
     
     
      accomplishments
      in
      the
      sport,
     
     
      O’Connor
      also
      expressed
      concern
      for
     
     
      the
      state
      of
      the
      game
      today,
      most
     
     
      notably
      the
      lack
      of
      respect
      that
      the
     
     
      sport
      receives
      from
      some
      members
      of
     
     
      the
      public
      and
      from
      the
      sport
      programs
     
     
      of
      some
      universities.
      In
      Central
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Western
      Canada,
      Field
      Hockey
      has
      a
     
     
      strong
      presence
      in
      university
      sport
      and
     
     
      has
      experienced
      much
      success,
     
     
      however
      in
      the
      Atlantic
      region
      there
      is
     
     
      a
      trend
      of
      cutting
      in
      field
      hockey
     
     
      programs.
      As
      a
      result
      the
      sport
      has
      been
     
     
      thrown
      in
      jeopardy
      across
      the
      nation,
     
     
      as
      a
      league
      cannot
      sustain
      viability
      with
     
     
      divisions
      in
      only
      West
      and
      Central
     
     
      Canada.
      There
      are
      club
      status
      Field
     
     
      Hockey
      teams
      at
      UPEI,
     
     
      SMU,
      Acadia,
      Dal
      and
     
     
      UNB,
      however,
      the
      only
     
     
      Atlantic
      university
      that
     
     
      retained
      its
      varsity
      Field
     
     
      Hockey
      status
      was
      SMU.
     
     
      “Because
      of
      a
      lack
      of
     
     
      funding
      within
      universities”
     
     
      says
      O’Connor,
      “many
     
     
      teams
      are
      not
      able
      to
     
     
      compete
      against
      each
     
     
      other
      at
      the
      AUS
      and
      CIS
      level.”
      It
      is
     
     
      this
      unsupportive
      attitude
      from
     
     
      universities
      that
      see
      fit
      to
      allocate
     
     
      athletic
      funding
      only
      to
      certain
      teams
      that
     
     
      frustrates
      people
      like
      O’Connor.
      “The
     
     
      players
      are
      there”
      she
      says;
      “The
      talent
     
     
      is
      there
      —
      but
      the
      funding
      is
      not.”
      What
     
     
      concerns
      her
      most
      is
      the
      fact
      that
      many
     
     
      players
      graduating
      from
      High
      School
     
     
      may
      have
      no
      team
      to
      play
      on
      if
      they
     
     
      choose
      to
      come
      to
      an
      Easter
      Canadian
     
     
      university.
      “Field
      Hockey
      isa
      sport
      that
     
     
      combines
      quickness,
      agility,
      accuracy.
     
    

    
     
      power
      and
      most
      of
      all
      —
      hard
      work.
      [lt
     
    
   
   
    
     
      concerns
      me]
      that
      talented
      and
      serious
     
     
      athletes
      in
      Atlantic
      Canada.
      ..may
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -have
      a
      team
      to
      play
      on
      next
      year.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      is
      puzzling
      in
      itself
      to
      hear
      that
     
     
      Field
      Hockey
      funding
      is
      dwindling
      in
      the
     
     
      Atlantic
      Provinces,
      as
      it
      seems
      to
      be
     
     
      phenomena
      unique
      to
      this
      jurisdiction.
     
     
      It
      is
      a
      vibrant
      sport
      throughout
      the
      rest
     
     
      of
      Canada,
      perhaps
      as
      a
      result
      of
      more
     
     
      support
      from
      the
      university
     
     
      administration
      at
      those
      schools.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      player
      wins
      national
      award
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      spectator
      numbers
      are
      often
     
     
      limited
      to
      friends
      and
      family
      here
      at
     
     
      UPEL,
      the
      fact
      that
      games
      are
      held
      off-
     
     
      campus
      could
      be
      attributed
      as
      a
      major
     
     
      factor
      of
      this.
      After
      all,
      Field
      Hockey
      is
     
     
      second
      to
      only
      soccer
      in
      the
      world
      in
     
     
      terms
      of
      participation
      and
      involvement.
     
     
      The
      fear
      is
      that
      five
      years
      down
      the
     
     
      road,
      or
      even
      in
      the
      next
      two
      or
      three
     
     
      years,
      the
      athletic
      talent
      like
      that
      of
     
     
      O’Connor,
      a
      three-time
      AUS
      All-Star,
     
     
      four-time
      Academic
      All-Canadian,
      a
     
     
      UPEI
      Captain,
      and
      now
      winner
      of
      the
     
     
      Gail
      Wilson
      Award,
      will
      have
      no
      choice
     
     
      but
      to
      stop
      playing
      or
      to
      opt
      for
      a
     
     
      university
      outside
      of
      the
      Maritimes.
     
     
      Next
      year
      O’Connor
      intends
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      continue
      her
      studies
      at
      Carleton
     
    
   
   
    
     
      University
      in
      Ottawa
      in
      pursuit
      ofan
      MA
     
     
      in
      Applied
      Language
      Studies.
      She
      says
     
     
      this
      award
      feels
      like
      a
      perfect
      way
      to
     
     
      cap
      off
      her
      Field
      Hockey
      career
      here
     
     
      at
      UPEI.
      A
      fier
      the
      award
      ceremony
      in
     
     
      Edmonton
      last
      week,
      where
      O’Connor
     
     
      received
      the
      Gail
      Wilson,
      she
      cited
      the
     
     
      players
      she
      has
      played
      with
      and
      against,
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      her
      coaches
      as
      being
      the
     
     
      source
      of
      her
      inspiration.
      “I
      am
      grateful
     
     
      for
      having
      had
      the
      opportunity
      to
      play
     
     
      such
      an
      amazing
      sport
      with
      such
     
     
      outstanding
      athletes,
      coaches
      and
     
     
      friends.”
     
    

    
     
      Hopefully
      young
      uhices
      will
      be
     
     
      able
      to
      say
      the
      same
      here
      at
      UPEI
      for
     
     
      years
      to
      come.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Players
      of
      the
      Week
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI’s
      Engen
      Nurumbi
      and
     
     
      Leslie
      Bradshaw,
      of
      the
      Men’s
     
     
      Basketball
      and
      Women’s
      Soccer
     
     
      teams
      respectively,
      have
      the
      honor
      of
     
     
      being
      the
      Cadre’s
      Players
      of
      the
      Week.
     
     
      At
      press
      time,
      Bradshaw
      had
      only
     
     
      allowed
      one
      goal
      in
      two
      very
      defensive
     
     
      games
      for
      the
      Panthers
      at
      the
      soccer
     
     
      nationals,
      and
      her
      outstanding
     
     
      goalkeeping
      throughout
      the
      regular
     
     
      season
      also
      helped
      to
      lead
      the
      Panthers
     
     
      toa
      first
      place
      finish.
     
    

    
     
      Nurumbi,
      a
      rookie,
      will
      be
     
     
      called
      upon
      to
      support
      an
      injury-
     
     
      plagued
      Panther
      squad
      on
      the
      courts,
     
     
      and
      should
      he
      be
      able
      to
      maintain
      the
     
     
      tremendous
      play
      he
      had
      in
      the
      off
     
     
      season,
      the
      Panthers
      are
      very
      well
      off
     
     
      indeed.
      Playing
      under
      huge
      expectations
     
     
      for
      a
      rookie,
      look
      to
      Nurumbi
      to
     
     
      continue
      his
      torrid
      pace
      and
      help
      a
     
     
      strong
      basketball
      team
      to
      a
      spectacular
     
     
      finish.
     
    

    
     
      Congratulations
      once
      again
      to
     
     
      the
      Players
      of
      the
      Week.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Engen
      Nurumbi
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Leslie
      Brad