The Icelandic Canadian - 01.02.2007, Qupperneq 17

Vol. 60 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
143
any of us had ever been to in our lives. We
enjoyed a team meal that night and asked
the girls to remember that they would be
playing the Icelandic National Women’s
Team the next night. This team is com-
prised of players from Bjoninn and SA and
the players from Reykjavik were driving up
for the game. The coaches went to the Cafe
Akureyri to plan their strategy and argue
over whose turn it was to buy a round.
Valerie Hoshizaki-Nordin and Wendy
Brown Johnson never did buy one.
Saturday, April 1, 2006
It was sunny and cold as we left
Akureyri for the trip to Eyjafjordur which
literally translates to: island fjord. The fjord
is 60 km from mouth to bottom and the
area is one of the richest farming lands in
Iceland. We returned around noon to
Akureyri and ate as a group at Greifinn
restaurant. The afternoon was filled with
exploring the city and even more shopping.
We entered the Akureyri arena at 5:00 p.m.
and got ready to play the National
Women’s Team of Iceland. The ceremony
prior to the game was fabulous with both
anthems being played and an exchange of
pennants and flags between the players.
The puck dropped at 6:15 p.m. and it
was evident from the out start that the gals
from Iceland were there to play some
hockey. Solla, our guide, was particularly
fierce this night and didn’t hesitate to intro-
duce herself once again to our players.
Steinunn displayed good stick handling
skills and very sharp elbows. But again, as
with the previous games, the superior
speed of the Canadians kept the play in
Iceland’s end and the game became a deci-
sive 10-0 win for the Falcons.
Following the game Bjarni had
arranged a reception for teams. We were
served an outstanding meal and dessert fol-
lowed by speeches from both teams. Bjarni
Gautason, representing Ice Hockey Iceland
and the SA club of Akureyri, expressed his
appreciation to the Falcons for making the
effort to travel to Iceland. He presented
each player and coach of the Falcons with a
medal commemorating the trip and pre-
sented a game-worn Icelandic National
Women’s Hockey Team sweater to the
team. The Falcons in return presented
Bjarni and Skautafelag Akureyrar with a
hand knit replica of a 1920 Winnipeg
Falcons hockey sweater, a replica 1920
banner identifying the accomplishments of
the 1920 Falcons and a 2006 Winnipeg
Falcons Women’s Hockey Team sweater.
These items will be put in the new display
case in the Akureyri rink. At the conclu-
sion of the ceremonies, the SA team of
Akureyri reminded the Falcons of
the “re-match” slated for Sunday
morning and to prepare for the game
insisted that they all meet later for
some good Icelandic coffee down at
Cafe Akureyri.
Sunday, March 2, 2006
We do not know what those SA
players put into the coffee the previ-
ous night but our players were look-
ing very tired as they arrived at the
arena for the final game of the tour.
As before, the entire SA team
was running stairs when we walked
into our dressing room and everyone
was wondering where they got their
energy. The re-match produced the
same result as the first match
between the teams but there was evi-
dence that the SA team was paying
Iceland’s National Women’s Team 2006