Field Hockey Canada > Men's roster named for upcoming Champions Challenge in Malaysia

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Men’s National Program has named eighteen elite athletes to a team that will travel to Kuantan, Malaysia to take part in the 8th Men’s Champions Challenge 1 (CC1) tournament April 26 to May 4.

The National Team will return to Malaysia after finishing fifth in the 23rd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in March – their best finish ever at that tournament.

“This is a well balanced team,” says head coach Anthony Farry. “We have made a couple of changes from the Azlan Shah Cup squad with some of our overseas players returning to the group and this will add a bit of experience.”

Leading the group of experienced players are defender Scott Tupper (Vancouver, B.C.), who has been capped 177 times and plays professionally in Belgiun, and forward Mark Pearson (Vancouver, B.C.), who is expected to reach his 150th international cap during the tournament.

Also named to the squad is defender Benjamin Martin (Vancouver, B.C.), who will likely reach his 50th cap on the tour.

“Having guys achieve milestones like 150 or 50 caps is significant and shows their quality and commitment to the program and there’s no doubt both Mark and Ben contribute a great deal both on and off the pitch,” explains Farry.

“Both these guys embody leadership in different ways and I’m hopeful they will be around the group for some time yet.”

Canada finished sixth at the 2012 Champions Challenge in Argentina, and has since exposed more than twenty new athletes to senior level international hockey. Canada looks to top its 2012 result at this year’s competition in Malaysia, where world ranking points will be on the line.

The Men’s National Team is offering a way for fans to get closer to the game while the team is on tour. Find out how here.

 

Roster

Name

Position

Residence

Club Team

Adam Froese

Defender

Abbotsford, BC

India FHC

Antoni Kindler

Goalkeeper

Vancouver, BC

West Vancouver FHC

Ben Martin

Defender

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Hawks FHC

David Carter

Goalkeeper

Vancouver, BC

India FHC

David Jameson

Defender

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Hawks FHC

Gabriel Ho-Garcia

Forward

Vancouver, BC

Burnaby Lake FHC

Gordon Johnston

Defender

Vancouver, BC

UBC Thunderbirds

Paul Wharton

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

UBC Thunderbirds

Iain Smythe

Forward

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Hawks FHC

Richard Hildreth

Forward

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Hawks FHC

Hudson Stewart

Forward

Vancouver, BC

UBC Thunderbirds

John Smythe

Forward

Vancouver, BC

Flottbek

Mark Pearson

Midfield

Tsawassen, BC

West Coast Kings FHC

Matthew Guest

Forward

Melbourne, Aus.

Altona Hockey Club

Philip Wright

Forward

Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Hawks FHC

Scott Tupper

Defender

Vancouver, BC

Racing Club de Bruxelles

Sukhi Panesar

Midfield

Surrey, BC

United Brothers FHC

Taylor Curran

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

UBC Thunderbirds

Staff

Head Coach – Anthony Farry

Assistant Coach – Paul Bundy

Manager – Celia Plottel

Physiotherapist – Josh Ferguson

Performance Analyst – Paul Mounter

Videographer – Geoff Matthews

Canadian Schedule

Saturday, April 26 – vs Korea – 19:00*

Sunday, April 27 – vs France – 19:00*

Tuesday, April 29 – vs Malaysia – 21:00*

Thursday, May 1 – Quarterfinals

Saturday, May 3 – Semi-Finals

Sunday, May 4 – Final

*All times local to Kuantan, Malaysia