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Tuesday, April 11, 2000
Winning worlds no Small feat
Winnipegger tourney's top goalie
And Winnipeg's Sami Jo Small was still basking in the glow of earning her second straight gold medal at the women's world hockey championship yesterday.
Small backstopped the Canucks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the U.S. in Sunday night's final in Mississauga, Ont.
"We tried to make it nice and close for the fans and give my parents a heart attack," Small, whose parents were in attendance, said from Toronto.
"It's different than the first one because we did it at home in Canada," said Small, who was the winning goalie in last year's final in Finland. "There was the element of pressure of playing at home, so that was really special."
Small was named the tourney's top 'tender.
"Yeah, I was lucky," she said. "It's really nice to get the accolades, but my teammates saved my life on numerous occasions. Goalies get noticed, but defencemen don't. So this was recognition of our whole defensive corps."
Canada's sixth straight gold has helped develop women's hockey, Small added.
"When I was growing up in Winnipeg, it just wasn't accepted," she said. "I had to pretend to be a boy and go by the name of 'Sam.' I know my parents took a lot of flak for it.
"Now, I just feel the whole tide has shifted and girls are more than willing to admit they play hockey."
In fact, Small plays for the Brampton Thunder of a national women's league that has designs on becoming a pro circuit. Her Manitoba teammates with Team Canada, Jennifer Botterill and Delaney Collins, apparently hope to play in it, too.
Small, who just turned 24, is focusing on hockey these days, leaving her days as a javelin and discus thrower behind.
"I had two shoulder surgeries while I was in (university, where she had an athletics scholarship) and I can't throw javelin any more," said Small, who also went to the 1998 Olympics as Team Canada's third-string goalie. "I can't really put my (right) hand over my head.
"I don't really have goals and aspirations within the sport of athletics any more. I just do discus for fun now because I have a boyfriend who does it."
But she does dream of returning to the Olympics with the hockey squad.
"We'll just have to take it year by year now," said Small. "But that's definitely a dream."
But she'll have to start the process of making the national team all over again this August as this year's squad has already disbanded.
"You've just got to appreciate the moment while it lasts," Small said
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