Captain’s corner
Energetic leadership
IN THIS EDITION of Captain’s Corner, the Fulcrum sits down with Christine Allen, a hockey veteran of five years and the current captain of the University of Ottawa’s women’s hockey team. While completing her master's in physiotherapy, the fifth-year defender from Gatineau has contributed five years of blueline patrolling to the Garnet and Grey.
Fulcrum: When did you discover your love for hockey?
Allen: My older brother played hockey, and whatever he did I wanted to do—he was my idol. I wanted to play hockey, but [at that point] there was no hockey for girls. So I played one year of ringette, and then our coach decided to take all the girls who played and make a hockey team. I’ve loved it ever since. I think it is the whole “team” aspect. I don’t think any individual sport would give me the same joy.
What are some of your most memorable moments throughout your five years on the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team?
There are the team activities that we do: we often take team retreats to a cottage or [skate] on the canal at six in the morning when the sun goes up. All of those memories are good, but on the ice it was definitely last year, hosting nationals [March 2008]. We were playing for fifth position, so we had lost our first and second game, [and we were playing] against St. Francis Xavier. We were losing 6-1, and we ended up coming back—it was the biggest comeback ever! We won in shootouts. It was a total range of emotion, where you are playing the game and you are embarrassed, it is your home tournament and your crowd is here, and then you slowly start to pick it up goal after goal. I ended up scoring my first goal of the season. I am not a scorer, but I went crazy, and apparently that game was more interesting than the gold medal game. It felt like we [had] won the gold medal.
Do you plan on continuing to play hockey after your university career?
No. Maybe in recreational [leagues], but I don’t know if I could. I have played hockey competitively for so many years, I don’t know if I can just play to have fun. But I think I want to try some new individual sports. Last year I tried a triathlon and I really liked that.
What is it like to be captain?
The way I like to lead the team is by making everybody responsible. I don’t want to have to tell them what to do; they should know and do it on their own. On the bench I like to have great energy, so if I feel like it is low, I will try to get the girls to change it. [I like to] lead by example, both in practice and in games—I don’t expect the girls to do it if I don’t do it.
