Lane is the third Gryphon in history to receive the honour
Third-year student athlete Olivia Lane joined an elite group of Gryphon field hockey players when she was named U Sports co-player of the year. From OUA rookie of the year to OUA MVP, Lane is only at the beginning of her career.
Rebecca Thompson: Congrats on winning U Sports co-player of the year! What does this award mean to you?
Olivia Lane: In all honesty, when I heard that I was up for the nomination I was sitting there looking at my team, we were all joking around and they were talking about this other girl from UBC [University of British Columbia] and she had just come back from Europe where she was playing professionally for a team. So I was sitting there thinking what an amazing honour it was to be up against her, but I thought obviously she’s going to win. Then I heard my name and I was just shocked. I really didn’t expect it; I didn’t even expect to be OUA MVP. Only being in third year, it was just great to be recognized.
RT: How would you describe your time as a Gryphon so far?
OL: It’s unforgettable. The memories—looking back from first year until now, the friendships I’ve made—it’s all so worth it. I love Guelph, I love my teammates, I love the friendships, I’m so honoured and proud to be a Gryphon.
RT: Building into next year, what does the future of the Guelph team look like?
OL: We’re losing three players who were key starters on the team, but the rookies we brought in this year were phenomenal. They got a lot of field time, which helped them develop a lot more than normal rookies. We didn’t shorten the bench at CIS, everyone played the same amount. I think it gave them some good experience for next year and we’ll definitely be stronger next year.
RT: How do you build to compete against teams like UBC, who has the national training centre at their school?
OL: When we go to nationals you can definitely see the gap there. I think the difference is we know that the skill they have is a different level than what we have, even the surface we train on compared to the surface they train on. I feel like when we went to CIS, we played with heart and you could see that in the games. I feel like our hard work, that can make the difference.
RT: How do you balance school and field hockey?
OL: With a lot of help from your older teammates. I remember coming in, in first year, being completely exhausted and overwhelmed, but I’ve always been athletic, so I feel like I had some good time management skills. But university was definitely a big step. You’re just exhausted all the time, you have assignments and midterms, and it feels like they’re stacking up, but the support on the team makes the difference. Everyone’s there to help you and motivate you and you know you’re in the same shoes as everyone else.
RT: How was it growing up and playing field hockey in Guelph? Did you always want to pursue this sport?
OL: I started playing field hockey really late. I started in grade 11. I started because I had quit skiing, which I had done competitively my whole life. So I suddenly had all this free time and my high school got a field hockey team, so I decided to try it out and I made the steps from there. I played club and then provincially, and then I got recruited to come to Guelph and it’s just all fallen into place. If you had asked me five years ago if I would be playing field hockey in university, the answer would have definitely been no.
RT: Do you have any advice for young aspiring field hockey players?
OL: Never let a setback stop you from wanting to keep pursuing your dreams. I had a great first season—I was rookie of the year—and then in second year I had a really bad injury. I had to have surgery on both of my legs and I was told that I would potentially never play the same. I just worked really hard, got a personal trainer, and really came out swinging. So never let a setback or not making a team or coaches telling you that you’re not good enough stop you from going on.
Lane had compartment syndrome in both of her legs. After fighting to come back she was the OUA’s top goal scorer this season, OUA MVP, and U Sports co-player of the year. Lane shares the award with UBC’s Rachel Donohoe.
Photo by Tasha Falconer.