Playing Dirty

When the College introduced hockey for girls in 1960, the sport quickly grew in popularity.
Even though most of the players were raw novices, by 1974 there were four teams of girls competing with great enthusiasm.
Brown and Gold magazines for these years contain graphic reports. Hockey was described as a ‘game for the survival of the fittest’, but ‘worth the sore ankles, bluish-black bruised legs and muddy clothes that result from a hard-fought match …. ‘Hockey one, hockey two’ comes the cry from the girls playing hockey or more likely a cry of pain as someone is swiped by a stick on the ankle!’  (1968)

‘Once again this year, as winter arrived, the oval was filled with sticks and legs and little white balls. It was none other than the A hockey team, braving the wind, the rain and the mud. Success was not a key word in the A matches, and although we did not win a match, we were able to hold our opponents’ scores low. Miss Miller’s experienced coaching was much appreciated; so also was the umpiring of Paul Fielke.’ (1970)