Barb Boyes was a member of the York women's hockey program when the team won its first ever OWIAA championship in 1982-83. During her five years with the team, York also won two silver medals at the OWIAA championships (1980-81, 1984-85). An OWIAA all-star in 1981-82, Boyes was the team scoring leader in her final year at York and in 1981 set Ontario records for most goals in a game (six) and most points in a game (seven).
When looking for an institution to continue her education after graduating from high school, Barb Boyes considered both the academic programs and the prowess of the women’s hockey team, and knew she wanted to be part of something special on the ice.
Enter York.
The Yeowomen had yet to accomplish much in the OWIAA and were often overshadowed by the powerhouse teams at the University of Toronto. But Boyes and her new teammates came in with a goal to turn it all around.
“It was hockey that brought me to York,” says Boyes, who didn’t start the sport until the age of 16 after a battle with her mother to get permission to play. “The school appealed to me because I was looking for a place where I would have the chance to help build the hockey program and York wasn’t that strong at the time.”
It didn’t take long for the Yeowomen to begin making an impact in the league. Boyes became an immediate leader on the team and in her first year, the squad won the silver medal behind U of T’s gold. Two years later, and after another gold medal for the Varsity Blues, she and her teammates accomplished their goal by bringing home the women’s hockey team’s first OWIAA championship with a victory over their once-dominant cross-town rivals.
“It was exciting to win the gold medal and rewarding for all the hard work we had put into it. I remember being downtown on U of T’s ice when we won and beating them made it even more exciting. We had some great head-to-head games over the years and it was great to come out on top that day.”
While Boyes became a top player in the OWIAA – she was an all-star in 1982 and holds the record to this day for most goals (six) and most points (seven) in one game – she was also quickly climbing the ranks in field lacrosse all the way to the elite level. In 1982, she was a member of the national team that represented Canada at the World Cup in England.
“I matured as an individual and became more of an all-around person in terms of learning life skills while at York. I learned so much from the coaches, athletic administrators and professors I had during my time there.
“In my second year the coach, Linda Berry, was an individual that got more out of her athletes than any coach I had in the past and she really helped me learn about the untapped potential that athletes have inside them. That helped me become a better hockey player and got me to a higher level in lacrosse.”
After graduating from York, Boyes settled into a teaching career and turned her attention to volunteer work in field lacrosse. Just as she had done with the Yeowomen hockey team, Boyes set out to build a program. Ten years ago, she founded the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights, a club that competes across Ontario, and the club has since grown to be the largest women’s field lacrosse program in the country with more than 500 members.
The same week she is inducted into the York Sport Hall of Fame she was also inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame as a builder, a testament to the hard work she put in and the success she experienced during her years at York and in the time since.
