Preston Rivulettes The Rivulettes were inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 . Although there is no clear origin , speculation is that an incident occurred in 1930 at Lowther St . Arena . The Preston Rivulettes girls softball team were pondering their future and a member of the team suggested hockey . The story is that an onlooker scoffed at the idea and challenged them . Initial roster . The first nine members of the team were : Early history . The Rivulettes played teams from Ontario cities such as Toronto , Kitchener , Stratford , London , Hamilton , Guelph and Port Dover . Over the years , other players represented the Rivulettes team . These included : Violet Hall , Sheila Lahey , Gladys Hawkins , Norma Hipel , Ruth Dargel , Elvis Williams , Fay Hilborn , Winnie Makcrow and Eleanor Fairgrieves , Midge Robertson and Marie Bielstein . Between 1930 and 1940 , the team played an estimated 350 games . They lost only two and tied three . For the entire decade of the 1930 ’ s , the Rivulettes were the winners of the Bobby Rosenfeld Trophy . The trophy was given to the Ontario champions . In addition , the Rivulettes were six time winners of the Eastern Canadian championship and the Elmer Doust Cup ( the honour for winning the Eastern Canadian championship ) . The team also won the Lady Bessborough Trophy ( given to Canadian Champions ) six times . The Rivulettes were invited to play games in 1939 in Europe , but were unable to due to the start of World War II . In 1963 , the club was inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame . LOHA . The Preston Rivulettes would join the LOHA in January 1931 . In their first season , the Rivulettes played the Port Dover Sailorettes in the LOHA quarterfinals . The Rivulettes would beat London in the semi - finals , and proceed to beat Pembroke in the LOHA Finals . In winter 1933 , Lady Bessborough , the wife of Governor General of Canada Lord Bessborough donated a championship trophy for the Dominion Women ’ s Amateur Hockey Association . The trophy would be contested between the Edmonton Rustlers and the Rivulettes . In the championship game , the Rivulettes were down by a score of 2 - 0 . They came back to tie the game , but Hazel Case of the Rustlers scored the game winning goal . In 1934 , the Rivulettes were not able to raise the $ 1 , 800 to stage a rematch with the Rustlers . Although their early success would promote women ’ s hockey , by 1938 , their later success would prove to be an organization challenge to the LOHA governing body . From 1931 to 1935 , the Rivulettes were undefeated and won five consecutive provincial championships . Many ladies teams in Ontario did not want to join the LOHA because they felt they had no chance of winning . The Rivulettes success caused the number of member teams to decrease . The decision was for the LOHA to create an A League and a B League . The B League would include first year teams , and teams that were not at a high skill level . LOHA president Bobbie Rosenfeld found it to be the only way to increase the number of member teams . Playoff controversies . Due to the Great Depression , ice time became extremely rare , especially for women . In March 1938 , the LOHA semi - final with the Preston Rivulettes and the Northern Marvels of Cobalt had to be rescheduled . The game was scheduled to be played in Preston , but the Ontario Hockey Association ( men ’ s hockey association ) forced a change in venue so that a men ’ s game could be played .