UNB wins women's hockey title 4 years after reinstatement due to human rights complaint

Just four years after being reinstated, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) women's hockey team is the Atlantic University Sport conference champion.

Former player Sylvia Bryson says the win proves what can be done when a women's team is properly funded.

"I believe that the team had the potential to be successful if given the opportunities to do so, so to see what they've been able to do with those opportunities has just made me so proud. They keep proving me right," Bryson said.

Bryson filed the human rights complaint against the university for sexual discrimination, and in March 2016, the university was ordered to reinstate the team by the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board. 

But with a championship win on Thursday, Bryson believes all her hard work was worthwhile.

"This is the type of program I wish was available for me, but if this is what it took to get there, then it's worth it," Bryson said.

"If everything that I did was necessary to get them to where they were in 2018 and where they are now ... I would do it again in a heartbeat."

UNB athletic director John Richard said that when the university was ordered to reinstate the team it didn't want to make the same mistakes it had in the past. 

"We did make a commitment from day one, and certainly I was on the record saying if we are going to do this we are only going to do this one way, and we are going to chase how the best women's hockey teams in this country operate," Richard said.

He said bringing in coach Sarah Hilworth was the first step. From there it came down to giving her what she needed to succeed.

A message on funding

Hilworth says now that the team is back, it has felt the support from the university, and the Reds' current success is proof of what can happen when a women's sports team receives the proper funding.

"From day one I knew what we were capable of. We were a well funded program and we were well supported, so I think it just kind of shows the investment into women's sport and what it can do," Hilworth said.

Paige Grenier was the first player to be recruited for the rebuilt Reds. The newly-minted champion said that she's felt the support from the university, and that translates to success on the ice.

"It's time to stop betting on women and it's time to start investing. Our product here with women hockey is great across the board," Grenier said.

"If you're going to provide the resources we're going to prove to you it's worth the investment. We're going to prove to you that we can build a game that can be one day as successful as the men's game."

The Reds will play at the U Sports national championship in Charlottetown, P.E.I., with its quarter-final game against McGill University on Thursday.