Canada’s Kaitlyn Williams is ready for another international challenge
Photo Credit: Yan Huckendubler
Kaitlyn “Rocky” Williams has been team Canada’s starting goalie for over six years, and has recently taken another step up in performance, making Canada a tough challenge for any team.
Originally from Whiterock B.C., Williams played for the University of Victoria, where she won the 2007 Joyce Slipp Award as CIS Rookie of the Year for women’s field hockey, and won a CIS title in 2008. After graduating as one of the best goalies in university hockey in 2011, she got a quick call up to the Canadian National Team, where she quickly made an impression on the coaching staff and the rest of the players.
However, over the past two years, according to her teammates, Williams has reached new levels and heights in her game. Although she is aware of her performance over the past few years, she always gives credit to the team playing in front of her.
“In the games, I try to do what I can,” Williams said. “It’s a team game and I think we’ve been playing really well collectively, defensively, and we’ve been scoring more goals, so we’re all excited going forward.”
Veteran defender Dani Hennig has been playing with Rocky for years, and knows how important a standout goalie is to the confidence of the whole team.
“It’s always a bit of a confidence boost knowing that if you make a mistake there’s someone there to cover for you,” said Hennig. “It’s really nice to know that we have depth in every position.”
The Hockey Series Finals is once again another chance for Rocky to show what she is made of, and prove that she is a top tier goalie against top tier international teams.
“We don’t get to play for ranking very often. But at this point, ranking doesn’t mean much to us. This tournament is about us,” said Rocky. “It’s about us playing our best and let the results take care of themselves. The focus is on our goals and what we want to achieve.”
The tournament started with a successful 1-1 draw against world number-7 and host nation, Spain. The team played well in front of Rocky, keeping the shots to a minimum. However, Williams came up big when she had to, and kept the game within reaching distance of a victory.
Williams and team Canada know that they are going to have to be their best in this Hockey Series Finals, but they are willing, and excited to step up to the task.
“It’s Olympic qualification. It only happens once every four years. It is really exciting. We’re in a really good place,” said Williams. “It’s a really positive feeling heading into this summer.”
Team Canada goes up against Namibia tomorrow at 8am PDT, and will look for a big group stage win in Valencia.
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Kaitlyn “Rocky” Williams is prepared and focused on a good performance at the 2019 Hockey Series Finals. Photos/Yan Huckendubler
