 |
| Sophie, centre, and Grace Shirley, right, after a 2015 league title win. |
Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley will always be fond of the
day they experienced sudden victory in championship style.
On March 20, 2021, the Shirley sisters were playing for the
University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in the NCAA title game
against the Northeastern University Huskies in the NCAA Division I title game
at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the
deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.
At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar
left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From
behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the
puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern
goal.
The Huskies roster included defender and captain Brooke
Hobson, who is an alumna of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18
AAA hockey team.
The Shirley sisters, who are both forwards with the Badgers,
felt instant euphoria. They later pieced together what happened on the winning
goal.
“When the puck went in, I had just come off of my shift,”
said Sophie, who was in her third season with the Badgers. “Daryl’s line was on
next.
 |
| Sophie Shirley in action with the Stars in 2014-15. |
“I remember that I basically sat down. I was just trying to
catch my breath, because I had just been out on a shift. Basically, I sat down.
“I couldn’t really see, because when you sit down on the
bench, all my teammates in front of me were standing up watching the play. Just
like that, everyone just started celebrating, and we won the game. We had won
the national championship.”
“Right when it happened I remember not even really looking,”
said Grace, who was in her second season with the Badgers. “I think she (Watts)
was trying to get it to the slot, so I didn’t even see it go in.
“Everybody on the bench just jumped. There was definitely a
lot of screaming. I think me and one of my teammates Dara (Greig), as soon as
it happened we just like looked at each other and just froze for like a second.
“Everybody just started jumping over, and we got over. That
is all I can really remember. It was pretty exciting.”
The two Saskatoon products and alums of the Saskatoon Stars
female under-18 AAA hockey team got to share in a national championship in a
season like no other.
The Badgers won the NCAA crown in Sophie’s rookie year with
the team in 2018-19. They were looking to repeat as NCAA champions the next
season and were set to host an NCAA championship tournament quarter-final contest
before the remainder of the tournament was called off on March 12, 2020 due to
the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world.
 |
| Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015-16. |
The Shirley sisters returned home to Saskatoon to finish
their academic courses online. They returned to Madison, Wisconsin, in August
of 2020 to rejoin the Badgers for a campaign there wasn’t any certainty it
would be played to a conclusion.
The Badgers regular season opened on Nov. 27, 2020 with a
3-2 overtime loss in Columbus, Ohio, to the Ohio State University Buckeyes.
After blanking the Buckeyes 5-0 the next night, the Badgers had their season
put on hold as a COVID-19 outbreak saw six players from the team test positive
for the virus.
All of the Badgers six games in December of 2020 were
postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Badgers resumed their season in early January and hit high
gear and never looked back finishing the campaign with a 17-3-1 overall record.
They played 20 games fewer than when they won their last non-COVID NCAA title
in 2018-19.
Sophie posted 12 goals, 13 assists and a plus-18 rating in
the plus-minus department in the Badgers 21 overall games. In 98 overall career
games with the Badgers, Sophie has 61 goals and 63 assists for a total of 124
points to go with a plus-90 rating.
As a third-year player, Sophie, who is 21-years-old, focused
a little more on trying to set a good example for the younger members of the
team.
“For me, it was making sure that I am doing everything right
on the ice just being able to help the team in any way,” said Sophie, who
stands 5-foot-9. “It was also just kind of maturing a little bit and kind of
fitting into that leadership role a little bit off the ice as well as on the
ice too.
 |
| Sophie Shirley (#8) cuts up ice on a rush for the Stars in 2014-15. |
“I think it was a different year for me, and I think it was
one that I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed being that older player and being
able to kind of lead the way by example, but also within the locker room. I
enjoyed the year.
“Personally, I thought it was a pretty good year for me. I
think that I learned a lot as well too, so yeah, it was a good year.”
Grace had two goals, one assist and a plus-two rating
skating in all of the Badgers 21 contests. In 57 overall career games with the
Badgers, the 19-year-old has three goals and five assists for eight points to
go with plus-12 rating.
She was happy with her season personally and how she was
able to develop playing on a Badgers team that has a huge amount of depth. A
number of the Badgers players are in line to have future opportunities to play
in either Canada’s or the United State’s national team system.
“You have to really earn your ice,” said Grace, who stands
5-foot-7. “I’m trying to work my way up.
“I definitely feel like maybe like I’m not getting as much
ice time as I’m used to. I’m still definitely developing as a player and even
just getting to practice with and battle with some of these future Olympians,
it helps just kind of knowing that I am getting better and developing. I’m
amongst the best.
“It is nice knowing that they are kind of pushing me to get
better too.”
Both players have fond memories of their time with the
Stars.
 |
| Grace Shirley jets into the offensive zone for the Stars in 2017-18. |
Sophie suited up in three seasons for the Stars from 2012 to
2015 appearing in 58 regular season games collecting 41 goals and 27 assists
for 68 points. She helped the Stars win their first SFU18AAAHL title and win a
bronze medal at the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA national championship
tournament in the 2014-15 campaign.
“When I think back to my high school days here back at home
being at home, those were some of the best times of my life,” said Sophie. “Some
of my friends that I still have today are from playing on the Stars and being
able to play for that program.
“Ultimately, I think that I grew a lot. I got better while
playing with the Stars. I think it kind of developed me into the player and the
person that I am today.
“I’m always thankful for what that program has done for me.
There were a lot of fun times that I had playing for the Saskatoon Stars. I
miss it.”
Grace suited up in five seasons for the Stars from 2014 to
2019 appearing in 107 regular season games collecting 97 goals and 69 assists
for 166 points. She was an associate player call up on the 2014-15 SFMU18AAAHL
championship winning team.
Grace helped the Stars win three more SFMU18AAAHL title in
2016, 2018 and 2019 and appear at the Esso Cup tournament in each of those
years. The Stars made it to the Esso Cup title game in 2018 falling to the
Alberta based St. Albert Slash 2-1.
 |
| Sophie Shirley has fond memories playing for the Stars. |
“It was big part of my life,” said Grace. “That is where I
developed to be at this level, so I definitely reflect on it a lot.
“It was definitely a huge part of my life before coming
here. There are lots of differences I’d say, but just in terms of some of the
lessons that I’ve learned along the way, it is definitely still applicable
today.”
The Shirley sisters are back in Saskatoon visiting family
and friends. They are hoping to rejoin the Badgers for skating and training
sessions in the middle of June.
Due to the fact the NCAA ruled that players who took part in
the 2020-21 campaign would not lose any eligibility due to the uncertainties regarding
the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophie can play two more seasons with the Badgers and
Grace can play three more campaigns.
While they have a good chance of piling up a number of more
highlights in their respective playing careers, the Shirley sisters will never
forget the sudden victory NCAA title win with the Badgers.
“It was a pretty crazy feeling,” said Sophie. “It was a
pretty crazy bounce, a positive bounce behind the net there with Daryl kind of
bouncing into the net.
“It happens just like that, and all of a sudden, we were
national champions, so it was pretty cool.”
 |
| Grace Shirley was the Stars captain in 2018-19. |
“There was so much adversity, and I know every team
experiences it,” said Grace. “To kind of come out on the higher end of that and
to say that we won in such a crazy year, I think it is pretty special.”
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