Preston Rivulettes
Hilda and Nellie Ranscombe, and Marm and Helen Schmuck, played softball together during the summer of 1930 on a team called the Preston Rivulettes.
Many of the original players remained on the team throughout the next decade, however, the Rivulettes welcomed new members throughout the 1930s, including, Dot Raffey, Helen Sault, Violet Hall, Ruth Dargel, Elvis Williams, Norma Hipel, Gladys Hawkins, and Marie Beilstein.
The LOHA allowed the Rivulettes to play a qualifying match against the Grimbsy Peaches to determine eligibility for the 1931 playoffs.
[1] The Rivulettes played teams from Ontario cities such as Toronto, Kitchener, Stratford, London, Hamilton, Guelph and Port Dover.
Lack of ice time forced the Toronto Silverwoods and the Ottawa Rowing Club to forgo the Senior title.
DWAHA oversaw a national playoff for the top women's hockey teams in Canada, called the Dominion Championship.
This was the first time Preston had played outside of Ontario, and since Edmonton had covered all expenses on the Rivulettes' behalf, they could easily afford it.
The team departed from Preston on a Wednesday, with 200 fans cheering them off at the train station, and arrived in Edmonton on Saturday, five hours before game time.
On the week following their defeat, the team was welcomed to the Provincial Legislature in Toronto for a congratulatory meeting with Premier Henry.
Preston was scheduled to return the favour of hosting the 1934 Edmonton championship team the following year, however, the Rivulettes were not able to raise the $1,800 to stage a rematch with the Rustlers.
[1] After a dominating performance in the Ontario league in 1936, the Rivulettes travelled to the Montreal Forum to face the Maroons for the Eastern Canadian Championship.
The 1936 Dominion series was to take place in Winnipeg and the Rivulettes were facing financial challenges after the costs of travelling to Montreal.
The DWAHA changed the rules which had previously guaranteed money for the visiting team and the Rivulettes were unable to work out a financial deal with Winnipeg.
[1] In 1940, the Rivulettes and the Winnipeg Olympics were unable to reach an agreement to guarantee travel expenses to a national championship series.
Coveted evening ice times were especially difficult to obtain for a women's team, leaving them left to practice at odd hours or whenever they were able.
Titled Glory, it premiered on February 22, 2018, at the Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops, British Columbia.
[15] The play was later performed in Calgary, and has toured Western Canada, including to the Chemainus Theatre Festival.
