Bolton native wins silver with her Laurier Golden Hawks at CIS Championship
By Jon Yaneff

Bolton native Candace Kellough won a silver medal with the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in Ottawa March 10. Kellough is pictured here after helping the Golden Hawks win the OUA championship against the University of Toronto Feb. 29.

Once a Hawk, always a Hawk.

Candace Kellough of Bolton grew up playing for the boys' rep hockey team, the Caledon Hawks, and is still a Hawk (this time a Golden Hawk).

She plays for the number 3-ranked Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) Golden Hawks. The team recently won a silver medal at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) women's ice hockey National Championship in Ottawa.

Kellough, 18, helped make Laurier's golden hopes almost become reality, as the Golden Hawks took home the silver after a close, 2-0 loss against number 1-ranked McGill University at the University of Ottawa Sports Complex Arena March 10. This game was televised on The Score Television Station.

The silver medal brings Laurier's women's hockey medal count to four, with three silvers and the gold, since 2005.

"After the game, I told the team that they played hard, competed at the speed, tempo and pace that we expected and the effort represents the team, the league and the sport well," said Golden Hawks Head Coach Rick Osborne in article published recently on the Golden Hawks Web site (www.laurierathletics.com).

Osborne has won Ontario University Athletes (OUA) Coach of the Year five years in a row.

The Golden Hawks also beat the University of Ottawa, 1-0 March 8, and the University of Alberta, 4- 2 March 9 to advance into the gold medal final. Kellough, a five foot 10 rookie power forward, had her only playoff point (an assist) in the Alberta game.

Laurier earned a spot at the championship after defeating the University of Toronto, two games to none, in their best-of-three OUA final series. Game 1 was a 2-1 win at the Waterloo Recreation Complex Feb. 27 and Game 2 resulted in a 1- 0 edge Feb. 29.

In the OUA semi-final, the Golden Hawks beat Queen's University in a twogame sweep as well, with Game 1 ending 3-1 in Napanee Feb. 22 and the second match resulting in a 1-0 final in Waterloo Feb. 23.

The Golden Hawks had a 23-2-2 record in 27 games during the regular season. Kellough had 10 points (five goals and five assists) and 10 penalty minutes in her 25 regular season starts. She also had a goal in a nonconference game the Golden Hawks played, resulting in a 3-2 win over Alberta during the Gryphon Hockey Invitational at the Gryphon Centre in Guelph Dec. 28.

Laurier also played McGill Dec. 29 in the Gryphon tournament, losing 2-0.

Kellough, who is a great leader and very smart hockey player, earned an athletic scholarship at WLU and studies business.

"Candace is a real team leader, liked by everyone," said her father Craig Kellough. "She understands and executes every play and strategy drawn up by her coaches."

"I love winning battles by fighting in the corners for the puck and starting plays," said Candace. "I see the ice pretty well and I never give up and always give my everything."

Influenced by her older brother Corey, 20, who played rep hockey as a Caledon Hawk for many years, her hockey career was launched at the tender age of five, when she played house league with boys for the Bolton Blackhawks Select team. Later, she also made the Caledon Hawks rep team.

At the age of 12, she left boys' hockey to play two years with the Brampton Canadettes, then she played a season with the Mississauga Chiefs, then in the Provincial Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with the Oakville Ice, as an assistant captain for her final two years.

Last November, in her final year with Oakville she broke her leg, dislocated her ankle and tore the ligaments, while making a tight turn and flying into the boards. She missed almost the entire season, but was still selected by Laurier's team.

"Last season in November I lost an edge while making a tight turn and flew into the boards," she commented. "I broke my leg, dislocated my ankle, and tore the ligaments. I missed most of my season, and got back on skates five to six months later."

In November 2005, Kellough made Team Ontario Blue (which was the younger of two teams) for the girls under-18 National Championship in Salmon Arm, B.C. She was an assistant captain for the blue team, which placed sixth, but the other team Ontario sent to the tournament, Team Ontario Red, won it all. Each province sends a team but Ontario sent two because girls' hockey is so large.

With the support of her parents Craig and Marti Kellough, she has become the optimistic person who loves life and hockey.

"I am where I am now because of my parents," Kellough declared. "They've always pushed me to be my best and would never let me give up. They have always been there to support me and give me the confidence I needed to succeed."

At Laurier, Kellough has been able to balance hockey with school and her social life and hopes to convert her efforts into an Honours BBA degree as well as a CIS Championship into the future. She is also considering putting a couple extra years in to get her Masters in business.

"I love hockey and I love the person that I have become because of the game," said Kellough, who was one of six rookies on the team this year. "Playing in the National Championship was an amazing experience and I think next year the Golden Hawks have a good chance of taking home gold at Nationals."

"First year is always a challenge because of all the changes like living on your own. Next year we're going to know what to expect and how to handle it and the rest of the OUA better be prepared."