The 2019 Field Hockey Canada U18 National Championships got started this Thursday at Tamanawis Park, in Surrey. Every Team BC in the competition had their first games on Day 1, with some great performances.
This first day of the U18 Women’s National was a true face-off between British Columbia and Ontario, with Quebec and Prince Edward Island only playing this Friday.
At 8:30 in the morning, the opening match of the tournament was between the girls from the BC Rams and Ontario Central, in Pool A. It was a very thigh game, and no one was able to get anything on the scoreboard, ending in 0-0.
The Rams went back on the pitch to close out the day, and what a game it was; 10-0 against Ontario East, with eight different players scoring.
Still in Pool A, the BC Lions were defeated by Ontario Central, 2-0. Playing in Pool B, the BC Stags girls had a great 3-1 win versus Ontario West.
There was only one game on this first day of the boys U18 National. BC played well against Quebec and managed to secure a 3-0 win. BC, Quebec and Alberta will play each other three times in the men’s pool, with whoever finishes in first place will get the gold medal.
The U23 Nationals came to an end on Canada Day, and all the BC teams had notable performances, with Team BC securing gold medals among women and men.
Throughout the competition, the women’s BC Rams and Ontario developed a healthy rivalry, facing each other three times in total. After a 1-1 draw in their first encounter, Ontario beat the Rams on the last match of the round robin, when both teams were already qualified for the final. This sort of preview taught the BC ladies some lessons, and they applied them well in the end, beating Ontario 2-0 and getting that gold.
BC Lions came in third place and, despite getting no wins in such a tight tournament, they were all smiles in recognition of their great effort.
Battle of BC
The U23 Men’s National was decided between the BC Lions and BC Rams. While the Rams dominated the pool stage, earning 13 points out of 15 possible, the Lions confirmed the second place only in the final minute of their last game against Ontario.
This mix of relief and excitement was brought over to the last game. It was a very even encounter, with both teams leading the scoreboard at some point and, in the end, a 2-2 tie to be decided in a penalty shootout! It was tight, but the Lions won by 2-1 and were awarded the gold medal.
The U18 BC Rams also participated in the tournament and finished in 5th place by beating Alberta 5-4 in their last match. The boys will now get ready to play their division. The U18 Nationals start July 4 at Tamanawis Park, in Surrey.
The U23 Women’s National started this Saturday with two matches. The BC Rams had a great performance against the BC Lions, winning by 8-1, and tied 1-1 with Ontario. All three teams will play four games on this stage, with the best two reaching the final on Monday, July 1.
As for the second day of the U23 Men’s National, it opened with a clash between both BC Rams in the tournament, U23 and U18 – a good opportunity for the U18 boys to test their skills against older players. U23 won by 3-0 and beat Quebec later on, with a 4-0.
The BC Lions had a great win versus Alberta, putting a 10-5 on the scoreboard, and also overcame the U18 BC Rams by 3-0.
With two wins and a draw between them on Day 1, BC Lions and U23 BC Rams are leading the competition with 7 points each. Because of a better Goal Difference, the Lions sit currently in front.
To follow the live score of the Nationals and see the full standings, schedule and statistics, access fhc.altiusrt.com.
This Friday, June 28, the 2019 FHC National Championships get underway at Tamanawis Park in Surrey, BC. Field Hockey BC, in partnership with Field Hockey Canada, will be hosting the U23 Division from June 28th to July 1st and the U18 Division from July 3rd to July 8th.
These players have been working hard throughout the spring and it all culminates with this important tournament where teams from across the country come together to compete at the highest level.
The action starts Friday night, and you can check the schedule here. Everyone is more than welcome to come, watch the games and cheer for those amazing players. If you are not able to attend, you can follow the live score at fhc.altiusrt.com.
Field Hockey BC is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Judy Broom High Performance Bursary, aimed to assist female athletes who have participated in the Field Hockey BC Regional High Performance Program and have been selected to a FHBC Team BC Provincial Team.
The application deadline is July 8, 2019. In order to be considered for the aid, applicants must successfully show why they need financial assistance.
For more information on the Judy Broom High Performance Bursary and other bursaries offered, please visit the Field Hockey BC Foundation website. Click here to download the application form.
Field Hockey BC is excited to launch the 2019 Learn 2 Win Provincial Program for U23 male and female athletes. Selected athletes will participate in a 10 hour training program in June and will compete in the U23 National Championships from June 29 – July 1. Interested athletes can register for the trial free of charge!
Trials:
Men: Saturday, May 25 from 6 – 9 pm at Tamanawis Park, Surrey
Women: Sunday, May 26 from 4:30 – 7:30 pm at Eric Hamber, Vancouver
Trials are open to all BC athletes eligible by birth year. Registration will remain open until Wednesday, May 22nd at 12 pm. Click here for more information on the U23 Learn 2 Win Provincial Program. If you have any questions related to the Learn 2 Win Program, please contact Athlete Program Manager, Melody Haddow.
The Festival will host 11 boys and girls teams from across BC, as well as a team from Alberta in the girls division. This event will be the selection point for the U15 BC boys and girls teams that will represent our province at the 2019 National Championships July 24-28 in Calgary, Alberta.
With so much young talent on display, we want to share all the action with our field hockey community! For those who can’t make it out to the Festival, live scores and results will be available through AltiusRT. You can find lots more tournament content by following @fieldhockeybc on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
Each time
Nora Struchtrup stepped onto the pitch at the 2019 Train 2 Compete Regional Championship
she was fully focused, ready to make an impact for her Island Stingrays team. That
doesn’t mean you won’t catch her smiling away on the pitch as a result of her genuine
love for the game.
The 16 year-old Victoria native played a huge role in the victory of the Island Stingrays at the Train 2 Compete Tournament. Her first quarter goal in the gold medal game led the Stingrays to a 1-0 win over the Northwest Jellyfish. As a natural forward with her speed and skill on display, Struchtrup’s standout performance has landed her a spot on the U18 BC Stags.
Nora Struchtrup (back row, middle) with the Island Stingrays, 2019 T2C Regional Champions. Photo: Chris Wilson
Struchtrup first played field hockey when she was 11 years old with the Victoria Rising Stars program and despite trying many other sports, nothing was ever quite the same.
“I’m a passionate
player, I really love what I do,” explained Struchtrup. “I’m aggressive and I
have fun while I play which I think is a good blend. I love the running and
tipping, trying to beat other people’s speed. As soon as I tried field hockey I
was stuck, there’s something about it I just love it.”
Her first
experience with Field Hockey BC was in the Learn 2 Train program and she has
continued with the high performance program ever since.
“It’s a lot
of like-minded girls, we all work hard and push ourselves,” said Struchtrup. “It’s
such a great program, it really brings the extra intensity that I love and I
think it has played a huge role in my development and continued love for the game.”
Nora Struchtrup (right) in action during the gold medal game at the 2019 Regional Championships. Photo: Chris Wilson
In her first
year of Train 2 Train, Struchtrup was selected to the reserve pool for Team BC
and one week before the National Championships, she got the call inviting her
up to the BC White team. She has since played for the U15 BC Stags and last
summer, the U18 BC Lions. Her team turned some heads at the 2018 National Championships
in Toronto where they came in and defeated one of the favourites in Ontario
West on the first night of the tournament.
“That was a
crazy game,” reflected Struchtrup. “Normally I remember most of the game, I do
not remember a single thing that happened in that Ontario West game. I was so
in the zone, we were all super intense and supporting each other, it was such a
cool experience.”
After last
year’s fourth place finish at Nationals and going into her fourth National
Championships this coming summer, she sees the National Championships as a huge
motivator to continue to improve and push for the next level.
Nora Struchtrup in action with the U18 Lions at the 2018 National Championships.
“The
Regional program is already a huge step up and then the Provincial program is
amazing, it pushes you physically and mentally, you get to make some new
friends and it’s just so much fun,” explained Struchtrup. “I just want to keep
coming back and keep playing.”
Struchtrup
will be taking another step in her field hockey development this summer, as she
will have her first opportunity to play with the Field Hockey Canada NexGen Squad.
She was recently invited to the U17 tour in Belgium and the Netherlands which
will take place prior to her participation in the National Championships. This opportunity
is extra special for Struchtrup as her extended family lives in Germany and
will be traveling to the Netherlands to watch her play.
Beyond this
summer, Struchtrup has her sight set on making the Canadian National team one
day. She also aspires to go to UBC or the University of Victoria to study and
play field hockey and with her German heritage, maybe even attend school there
and play field hockey for a German club team.
“I think it’s
going to be an exciting year coming up and seeing where these opportunities
take me.”
The future
certainly looks bright for this young athlete from Victoria and we can’t wait
to follow her progress at the National Championships and beyond!
When the U18
boys took the pitch at the 2019 Regional Tournament, you could find Daniel
Goodwin calling the shots for his team from the best view on the field. As a
goalkeeper, Goodwin is constantly communicating with his teammates and trying
to help them see the plays that might only be visible from his perspective.
“I try to be
vocal and help the guys see everything,” explained Goodwin. “As a field player,
you have to be very focused on what you’re doing and I can see a lot more from
my position so I try to communicate that to my team.”
Daniel Goodwin (bottom row, third from left) with the 2019 Ravens Train 2 Compete Regional Team. Photo: Chris Wilson
Goodwin has
earned a spot on the U18 BC Rams who will compete at the 2019 National
Championships in Surrey, BC July 3-8, 2019. His field hockey career started
with the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club when he was 10 years old, who he
still plays for today. He started as a field player, but the first time he
tried goalkeeping he never looked back.
“I played
goalkeeper once and got hooked,” said Goodwin. “I love it because you can be
the hero. Everyone needs a goalkeeper and you’re really important to the team.”
His first
year with the Regional program was the first year that the program was
available for the boys. He was not selected to a BC team in his first year with
the Program, but he kept going out and working hard because of the people and
the training environment.
Daniel Goodwin in action at the 2019 Train 2 Compete Regional Tournament.
“At the
start, I definitely stuck with it because of my friends. There are three of us
that have been playing together since our first practice with West Van,”
reflected Goodwin. “Now it’s more about seeing the opportunities and where you
can go with the sport. The Regional Program allows athletes to connect with
players at different clubs and to get more training from different coaches.”
As a grade 12 athlete, Goodwin is in his fifth
and final year with the Regional Program and will be competing at Nationals for
the last time at the Junior level. This will be Goodwin’s first time as the BC
Rams goalkeeper after playing for the U18 BC Lions the past two years.
The U18 Rams
will be looking to improve on their bronze medal from the 2018 National Championships
in Toronto, Ontario. For Goodwin, the Provincial Program is an opportunity to
build as a team and play at the highest level representing British Columbia.
Daniel Goodwin (back row, second from right) with the 2018 U18 BC Lions.
“The
Provincial Program is more about working well as a team and that’s a really fun
process because you’re given a group of guys and you have a couple of months to
get together and figure out how you want to play,” explained Goodwin. “Whenever
you go to Nationals and see that’s the highest level you can play for your
province, that’s what you really want to push for is getting to that next
stage.”
With his
Junior career coming to a close, Goodwin is excited to be starting his
Psychology degree at SFU next year while playing for the West Vancouver Premier
team. He plans to continue on with the Field Hockey BC U23 Program, available
as a summer program for 19-23 year-old athletes.
“I trained
with the U23’s last year before Nationals and I really enjoyed it, there were a
lot of highly skilled players there so I would definitely like to try the U23
Program,” said Goodwin.
He will also
continue training with the Junior Development Squad in hopes of making the
Canadian National Team and ultimately competing at the Olympics. He also
aspires to take his field hockey career overseas and play in Europe or the UK. With
so much to look forward to, we are excited to watch this young goalkeeper as he
competes at the National Championships in July and continues to develop in the
years to come!
Eve
Carrothers is the midfielder that every team needs. Her calm and collected strength
is what makes her often the most reliable player on the field. In her grade 12
year, the Tsawwassen native will be competing for the U18 BC Rams for the third
consecutive year after a strong showing at the 2019 Regional Tournament with
the Southeast Killer Whales.
Eve Carrothers (back row, third from right) with the Southeast Killer Whales at the 2019 Train 2 Compete Regional Championship. Photo: Chris Wilson
Coming from
a family of soccer players, Carrothers started off playing field hockey for the
Delta Falcons just as a fun sport in the off season. All of that changed when she
joined the Field Hockey BC Regional Program and had her first opportunity to
play at the National Championships.
“I wasn’t
that serious about field hockey but I really started to enjoy it with this
program,” explained Carrothers. “After grade 8 when I went to the Nationals in
Brampton, Ontario after that it all switched, it just took over that this was
my top priority. Getting to travel with the team and doing all the team bonding
activities, it’s so much fun. Every year my coaches have been great at forming
a family environment, that’s why I value all of the friendships I’ve made
because the team really is a family.”
Eve Carrothers in action with the Southeast Killer Whales at the 2019 Train 2 Compete Regional Tournament. Photo: Chris Wilson
Carrothers
has been training with the Southeast Regional program for the past five years
and has been selected to a Provincial team every year. Last year, her U18 BC
Rams team earned the elusive gold medal, which they had lost to Ontario for the
past few years. For Carrothers, this was a huge accomplishment as it was her
first ever gold medal in four years playing at the National Championships.
“I really
felt with that team last year that everything just clicked,” said Carrothers. “Everyone
was really comfortable with each other and you could tell that playing was a
lot of fun because we really trusted each other. I think that’s what helped us win
gold and reaching that goal was way more rewarding because it was with the
people that we loved playing with the most.”
Eve Carrothers (bottom right) with the U18 BC Rams after winning the 2018 National Championships.
In her final year playing with at the U18
National Championships, Carrothers hopes to be a leader on her team and
influence her younger teammates as they look to repeat last year’s gold medal
victory. They will be up against some tough competition between their Ontario
rivals and two other BC teams, as well as teams from Alberta, Quebec and PEI.
Carrothers
plan to continue her field hockey career next year likely at the University of
Toronto where she can take her field hockey to the next level while pursuing a
degree in Geophysics.
“I’m really
excited to play at the next level. It will be with a lot of girls who have gone
through the Provincial program I’m sure, so it will be nice to see them on the
field again and reach a new level of competition.”
We are excited to follow Carrothers and the rest of the U18 Team BC athletes as each team pursues the gold medal at the U18 National Championships in Surrey, BC July 3-8, 2019!
