On Friday 21 March, MGCI students and staff played a non-competitive ice hockey game at the Angela James arena in Flemingdon Park. Students and teachers headed to the arena to participate in the game after-school, playing until 4 pm.
The game was organized by school resource officer Mr. Sirbos and social sciences department head Mr. Santolin, though Santolin wasn’t present at the game due to minor injury. Players were split between an all-student team and a mixed student-teacher team; because the game only had one goalie, no score count was taken. The goalie, senior student Rashad Brugmann, switched sides at several points during the match; expectedly, the majority of goals were scored on the empty net.
Several students as well as Principal Goldenberg came to spectate the game; Goldenberg was pleased with the increased participation of students compared to the game last year. “I think it’s wonderful that Officer Sirbos and Mr. Santolin organized this. They did it last year, and it looks like we have more students out,” she commented.
Indeed, more than double the number of students who participated last year came this year, according to Officer Sirbos. The talent and enthusiasm of the students on the rink demonstrated the potential for the existence of an MGCI ice hockey team at some point in the future. Sirbos commented: “I know [the students] are enthusiastic about it, they love it and they want it. So hopefully next year Garneau can have a hockey team – that’s what I’m looking forward to!”
Ice hockey and lacrosse are presently the only major sports for which Garneau does not have a varsity team.