Back row (l-r) Patrick Stratton, Kim Pearce, Jon Hureau, Tim Carre, Matt Hooper, Steve Russo; front row (l-r) Benny Adelson, David Bowles, Danny Wakeling, Fabian Raso, Erik Joffe, Tyson McNeil-Hay, Jeremy D'Souza, Steve Pordage, Kalen Ingram

Over the March 12-13, 2010, weekend Queen’s Law hosted and triumphed in the Annual Queen’s Law Invitational Hockey Tournament. This was the fourth year the tournament had been held and the first time Queen’s was able to capture the Aird & Berlis Cup.

The tournament brought together nine teams representing McGill, Ottawa, Osgoode Hall, Western, Windsor and Queen’s. Queen’s and Osgoode both brought two teams, and a team consisting of Queen’s alumni and led by tournament founders Andrew Thompson, Law '09, and Jake Irwin, Law '08, also took part.

The tournament featured intense activity on March 13 at the Kingston Memorial Centre, with some teams playing as many as four games during the day. In the first semi-final, the University of Ottawa ultimately triumphed over Osgoode A.

In the other semi-final, Queen’s A faced off against Windsor. The teams had faced each other previously in the semi-final in 2009, with Windsor emerging victorious in a shoot-out. This year, shoot-out goals by Fabian Raso, Law '12, and Tyson McNeil-Hay, Law '12, gave the win to Queen’s A and sent them into the final against Ottawa.

Although Ottawa had beat Queen’s A 6-1 in the tournament’s opening round, the final proved to be a much closer match. Goaltender Jeremy D’Souza, Law '12, managed to shut out Ottawa and a single goal gave Queen’s A the win, and the Aird & Berlis Cup.

In addition to the action of the tournament, the Queen’s Law women’s team played against the Applied Science women’s team, and Alice Bradstreet, Law '11, organized a charity puck toss prior to the championship game, with proceeds going towards Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kingston. Spectators were also treated to a shoot-out competition featuring players from all teams in the tournament.

For player Patrick Stratton, MA(Econ) '08/Law '11, the event was wonderful for strengthening relationships and camaraderie between both students and alumni: “It felt great to represent Queen’s Law. A lot of credit goes to the dozens of classmates and alumni in the stands behind us, singing the Oil Thigh and cheering us on. They were a big part of our victory and made it a lot sweeter.”

The tournament organizers are grateful for the support of Aird & Berlis LLP; Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP; Miller Thomson LLP; Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; the Frontenac Law Association; Heenan Blaikie LLP; and the Law Students’ Society.