Monthly Archives: November 2018

Handsworth Takes Second Consecutive Provincial AAA Gold

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The Handsworth Royals successfully repeated their gold medal victory at the 2018 AAA Provincial High School Championships. The tournament hosted by Clayton Heights Secondary took place from November 14-16, 2018 at Tamanawis Park, Surrey.

“I was thoroughly impressed with the level of play of all these athletes,” said BC High School Field Hockey Commissioner, Alanna Martin. “Not only were they highly skilled and physically fit, they also demonstrated good sportsmanship. It is obvious to me that their coaches have committed a lot of time to their program to make it successful and that the athletes have benefited from this and from their community programs.”

After the 5th ranked South Delta Sun Devils defeated Oak Bay in their quarter final match-up, the South Delta team was set to face off against the top ranked Handsworth Royals in the first semi-final. Despite an outstanding defensive effort from the Sun Devils, Handsworth took a 1-0 victory to clinch their position in the gold medal game and the opportunity to defend their Provincial title.

The second semi-final featured a showdown between Cowichan and Kelowna, both coming into the game undefeated in the tournament. Cowichan came out on top by a 3-1 margin to send them to their first final since 2016.

“With the top teams in the province competing in this tournament, every team will be challenged, therefore, everyone will grow individually as an athlete and collectively as a team,” Martin explained.

The bronze medal game was a thriller between South Delta and Kelowna. Kelowna took an early lead, but South Delta answered back to make it a 1-1 game. With the two teams still tied at the end of regulation, the game went to a shootout where South Delta prevailed to claim their first podium finish since 2014.

In the gold medal game, Handsworth jumped out to an early lead with a goal from senior forward, Tara Hamilton. Handsworth added a second goal to give them a 2-0 lead going into halftime. Despite a strong offensive push from Cowichan in the second half, Handsworth held on to take their second Provincial gold medal in as many years.

The 2018 Handsworth Royals, Provincial AAA Champions.

“Passion is the what I think of when I look back at the tournament,” Martin reflected. “Athletes who played with passion and rebounded with grace in the face of defeat.  The organizing committee worked passionately and tirelessly to ensure that all the details were attended to in order for the tournament to be a success. Passion from the coaching staff who volunteer countless hours because they love the sport. It was a great event to be a part of.”

For a full list of tournament results, visit the AAA Provincial Championship website. Congratulations to all participating teams for an outstanding weekend of hockey!

Provincial AAA High School Championship Begins Tomorrow!

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Clayton Heights Secondary School is set to host the 2018 BC Girls High School AAA Championships from November 13-15 in Surrey, BC. This three day tournament will see the top 16 teams in the province battle it out to claim the Provincial Banner.

This year’s AAA Championship will consist of 12 Lower Mainland teams, two Vancouver Island teams and two teams from the Interior. Handsworth Secondary comes in as the number one ranked team, looking to defend their title from 2017. However, a repeat will certainly not come easily, as their top competitors will be looking to de-throne the defending champions.

The 2nd ranked Cowichan team will be looking to get back on top after winning gold in 2016 and settling for bronze in 2017. Kelowna Secondary, ranked 3rd, will have plenty of motivation after coming in second behind Handsworth in last year’s gold medal match-up. For a full list of participating teams, visit the AAA Provincial Website.

The tournament gets underway tomorrow at Tamanawis Park and Cloverdale Athletic Park. Download the full schedule so you can go out and cheer on your team!

Collingwood Repeats as High School AA Provincial Champions

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The Collingwood Cavaliers came out on top for the second consecutive year at the 2018 BC High School AA Provincial Championships, hosted by Crofton House School from November 7-9, 2018.

“This is the first time Crofton has hosted the Field Hockey AA Provincials,” said Tournament Coordinator, Gerald Lambert. “It’s been really great celebrating the field hockey community, we’ve had great support from our administration, staff, students and our community. Many thanks to all who have contributed to such a major event.”

The Crofton Falcons, another top contender, took on Shawnigan Lake in a dramatic semi-final which saw Crofton edge Shawnigan 2-1 in the sixth round of a shootout. In the second semi-final between Collingwood and Seycove, the number 1 ranked Cavs poured on the pressure early, but Seycove held them off the scoreboard to take a 0-0 tie into halftime. Collingwood’s Maisie Hastings broke the scoreless tie midway through the second half to punch Collingwood’s ticket to the final.

“You’ve got a good battle between Collingwood and Crofton, it’s a common occurence that we play each other in the finals” Lambert said. “Last year Collingwood won the finals, the year before Crofton won the finals and the two teams have gone to shootouts multiple times in the past two years. It’s a great competitive rivalry.”

This rivalry was felt early on in the 2018 Provincial final between Collingwood and Crofton, as both teams came out hard in the first half. The action was back and forth throughout the first half, but Collingwood got on the board first when forward Seli Edstrand scored off the rush to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead.

With a 1-0 lead at halftime, Collingwood’s offence took off in the second half adding four goals to make it a 5-0 victory for their second consecutive Provincial AA Championship.

The 2018 Collingwood Cavaliers, BC High School AA Provincial Champions.

Crofton added their second straight silver medal and Shawnigan Lake took the bronze, while Brentwood College earned the Fair Play Award.

“It’s about the competition, it’s about friends, but what’s most important is seeing the athletes come together and celebrate their sport,” Lambert explained. “There are a lot of schools in more isolated communities that play minimal league games, so for those teams to be able to qualify and come to an event like this is a highlight of the year for them and one that they’ll always look back on. It definitely brings different communities together. It’s about a common interest and that common love for the great sport.”

For a full list of tournament results, visit the Provincial AA Tournament Website. Congratulations to all participating teams and thank you to the tournament organizers for making this event a success!

Field Hockey Alberta is Hiring!

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Interested in a career in Sports Development? Apply to become Field Hockey Alberta’s Northern Developer!

This position is an 8 month full time contract based out of Edmonton, Alberta. The Alberta Northern Developer is responsible for assisting with the operation of Alberta Field Hockey grassroots & regional programming. Check out the full job posting for more information on this exciting opportunity!

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by email to Alberta Field Hockey, Burgundy Biletski by November 15, 2018 @ 4:30pm MST.

Crofton to Host AA Girls Provincial Championships

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We have an exciting couple of weeks ahead of us in BC High School field hockey! The AA Varsity Girls Provincial Field Hockey Championships are set to take place from November 7-9, 2018 hosted by Crofton House School in Vancouver, BC.

Games will take place between Kent Field (Crofton), Wright Field (UBC) and Trillium Field.

The host team Crofton Falcons will be looking to upset the defending champions and number one ranked Collingwood Cavaliers. These two schools have a long-standing rivalry at Provincials as the only two teams to have claimed the Championship Banner in the last four years.

The top 16 teams in the Provincial AA division will face off in a round robin, with the top two teams from each pool moving on to the Championship round. The Championship consists of eight teams from the Lower Mainland, four from Vancouver Island and four from the Kootenay and Interior regions. Click here for a full schedule and list of teams.

Field Hockey BC is a proud sponsor of the event, and we encourage you to come out and support these young athletes! Visit the Provincial AA Website for more information.

 

University of Victoria Vikes take the 2018 National Championship Title!

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Field Hockey BC extends our congratulations to the University of Victoria Vikes who defeated the York University Lions to claim the 2018 National Championship Title! The victory marks the Vikes first National Championship since 2008 and their 12th win in the program’s history.

The Lions hosted the Vikes for a best of three series from November 2-4, 2018 at Alumni Field in Waterloo, Ontario. In the first game, the Vikes took the lead late in the first half with a goal by Vikes rookie, Erin Dawson. The Lions answered back before the end of the half to make it a tie game going into the second half. Dawson gave the Vikes the lead once again in the second half, which they held onto to take game 1 of the series by a score of 2-1. Erin Dawson, an FHBC alumni, was named the Player of the Game for the Vikes.

In game 2, a must-win for York to force a deciding third game, the Vikes got on the board first with a goal by Lindsay Cole. Just over a minute later, Vikes midfielder Stefanie Sajko extended the lead to 2-0. Vikes rookie Cara Butler added a goal in the second half to put the Vikes ahead by three. Despite a late push from the Lions which saw them reduce the Vikes lead to 3-1, the Vikes held on to take the National Championship Title with a 2-0 series win.

Vikes midfielder Emily Wong was named the Tournament MVP and second-year defender Anna Mollenhauer received the prestigious USports Player of the Year award. Both Wong and Mollenhauer are FHBC alumni, as are 18 of the 20 player roster for the University of Victoria Vikes.

For a full tournament recap from the USports website, click here.

2018 National Champions: The University of Victoria Vikes. Photo: USports

Apply for the FHBC Foundation Pat Hall Officials Development Award!

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We are excited to announce the launch of the FHBC Foundation Pat Hall Officials Development Award!

This award is  designed to promote the development of Vancouver Island umpires and technical officials. An award of up to $500 will be allocated each year to successful applicants. In order to be eligible for this award, applicants must be a member in good standing with Field Hockey BC and an active official within National, Provincial or Club based programming.

The application window will remain open throughout the year until the maximum award has been distributed. Visit the FHBC Foundation website  for more information. To download an application form, click here.