Team BC finished the Field Hockey Canada U18 Nationals in the best way possible, earning gold and silver medals in the women’s championship and another gold with the men.
With three men teams taking part in the in the U18 Nationals – BC, Quebec and Alberta –, every province had to face each other three times. In the end, whoever had more points would be champion.
The BC boys had a perfect tournament. They won every match in the competition, earning all of the 18 possible points and summing up a 42 goal difference. Nicolas Cain and Devan Crawford finished as the best scorers, with seven goals each.
In the women U18s, Team BC was well represented by the BC Rams, BC Lions and BC Stags. With Quebec, PEI, Alberta, Ontario East, Ontario West and Ontario Central also in it, this was a very balanced competition.
The BC Rams ended up as leaders of the Pool A, moving into the playoffs, while the Lions finished third, behind Ontario Central, and played the consolation pool. In Pool B, the Stags were first, followed by Ontario West.
In the semifinals, both Stags and Rams won their matches against the Ontario teams and ended up clashing for the gold medal. The final was very exciting, with the Stags getting a 1-0 lead in the first half.
The second part of the game had the Rams trying everything to equalize and the Vancouver Island team holding on to the advantage however they could. In the end, no changes on the scoreboard and a deserved gold medal to the Stags.
The BC Lions, despite not making it to the semifinals, also showed their strength in the consolation pool, winning all four matches versus Ontario East, Alberta, PEI and Quebec, finishing 5th in the competition.
Allison Kuzyk and Gabrielle Lee were the top scorers of the competition, both with 8 goals each.
That is it for the Nationals at Tamanawis Park, in Surrey. Next up for Team BC is the U15 Nationals in Calgary. The competition will run from July 23 to July 28. For more detailed information on the events, visit the Field Hockey Canada National Championship Event Page.