On January 24, Trent students were invited to the entire annual East vs. West Hockey Game experience, from poutine and trivia to the hockey game itself. East vs. West is an annual hockey competition where Trent University Colleges compete at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. The teams are divided by the Colleges on either side of the Otonabee River. The Otonabee River acts as the dividing line between the East (Otonabee and Peter Gzowski Colleges) versus the West (Lady Eaton, Champlain and Traill Colleges). This year’s East Bank coaches were Rachel Smylie, Amy Graves, Cara Livingston, and Amy Underhill; and West Bank coaches were Jessica Walsh, Carter Tongs, Jessie Thompson, and Wendy Walker.

The ticket proceeds from the event go to a local charity each year. This year it is going to Electric City Maroon & Whites, the Electric City Special Needs Hockey team. According to its website, Electric City Special Needs Hockey “provides opportunities for any child or adult with physical or developmental special needs. We include everyone, no matter their ability, focusing on improving or developing new skills and working on individual goals while having fun at the same time.”

The night started with a free event, Canada Part-Eh in the Student Event Space, which featured Canadian music, Canadian foods like poutine, and trivia about Canada. This event was organized by Otonabee College and Trent International. Trivia and poutine are two of my favourite things, which was well-received when I talked to other attendees. I’m also happy that reusable plates and cutlery were used. I made new friends at the event and contributed to the winning team in Trivia. The top three teams were PSHEFA, Otonatea, and Barry Bluejeans. The event even had a mascot and a photo booth which was well-decorated. Overall, the event was fun and the food was filling.

After the Canada Part-Eh, attendees travelled to the Bata podium, where buses were charted to the game. The line to enter the game went around the Memorial Center, but everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Everyone who bought a ticket was given a t-shirt based on their College.

The game started out well. In the First Period, Team East gained an early lead when they made the first goal. Player 67 made a shot on the net but the goal was saved. Team West tied the game one-one with two minutes left in the first period. At around 11:00 p.m. in Period Two, the game became two to one, but it was unclear if this goal counted as the scoreboard remained tied. West Bank Player 93 made a rush on the net.

During the intermissions, cheerleaders and mascots kept the crowd pumped. In Period Three there were a few un-sportsmanlike chants, but this was in the minority. East Bank scored with five minutes and 40 seconds left in the game, making it a tie two-two. With 40 seconds left in the game, a player from East Bank made the winning shot. I had the chance to talk with East Bank Coach Cara Livingston after the game, who said that it was because of fans that the team won.

Congratulations to East Bank and thank you to all the volunteers, including the coaches. The game was close, and overall an enjoyable experience.