The first National Championships were organized in Montreal the 2nd and 3rd of June. Three provinces Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, were represented in the tournament. Quebec became the first Canadian champion in men’s category and Ontario won the women’s championship title.
The Canadian Unihockey Floorball Federation (CUFF) also had its new board elected; Morris Glimcher was elected as the president, Harry Hannelius as the vice-president and Eero Piilokivi as the General Secretary.
Joe Cadigal´s (QFA Vice-President) tournament report:
06/06/07- Quebec had a lot to celebrate last weekend at the Canadian Floorball Championships in Montreal. Team Quebec beat a tough Ontario squad 4-3 in an exciting men’s final to become the first-ever Canadian men’s floorball champions. Ontario’s convincing 7-3 victory over Quebec in the women’s final earned them the women´s title and Quebec, the silver medal. Best of all, Quebec was ecstatic to host a successful national championships in Canada.
Team Quebec swept into the finals after dispatching Alberta 7-2 earlier on Sunday. With a short two-hour break, Quebec was tired but ready to play Ontario for the men’s title. From start to finish, both teams played a close, tight-checking match worthy of a championship final. While Quebec had control of the offensive play and out-shot their opponents throughout most of the match, Ontario was the more dangerous team, capitalizing on fewer chances. Quebec would take the lead three times, only to have Ontario answer back. Halfway through the third period, Quebec scored the go-ahead goal on the man-advantage to break the deadlock. In the final minutes, Ontario did not give up, and pressed for the tying goal right up until the last second. In the end, Quebec hung on for the win to become the first men’s national champions, with Ontario and Alberta taking home silver and bronze, respectively.
Going into the women´s final, the Quebec had a one-goal aggregate lead over their provincial rivals and had high hopes for an upset over their depleted but more experienced adversaries. Four of the eight Ontario players had recently come back from national team duties in Denmark, while only two of the eleven Quebec players have ever played in a floorball tournament. The home team got off to a great start, scoring in the first minute of the match. However, Ontario responded with a goal on a penalty shot and added another before the period was out. With momentum clearly on Ontario’s side, they built a five-goal lead at one point and the Quebec women could not mount any serious challenge as the game wore on. With the final score of 7-3, Ontario took home the women’s crown. A disappointed Quebec team was the runner-up this time, but the mostly new players were proud of what they had accomplished in a very short period of time.
The next Canadian championships will be held in Edmonton, Alberta in early 2008.
Please visit the championships website at: www.floorballquebec.ca for more information, game statistics and photos from the national tournament
