Field Hockey Canada > Target 2017 Women to suit up for Canada

Target 2017 Women to suit up for Canada

April 2, 2012 | Field Hockey Canada | fieldhockey.ca

As spring heralds new growth, it will also provide a new group of Canadian field hockey athletes the opportunity to don the maple leaf as they play in their first-ever international matches. This weekend, the Women’s Junior National U17 Team reunited in Vancouver for a three day mini-camp in preparation for the USA-Canada Challenge.  The WJN U17 Team will compete in four test matches against the USA’s U17 Team at Rutledge Field April 4 – 8.  Eighteen athletes will be selected to compete in each match, with a new roster named daily.

“I am extremely excited to watch this talented group of athletes play together,” says Krista Thompson, Head Coach of the Women’s Junior U17 Team.  “The USA-Canada Challenge will provide the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate our athletes’ growth, both individually and collectively, over the course of the four matches.”

The Women’s Junior National U17 Team is a group of young athletes eligible to compete in the 2017 Junior World Cup (JWC), with several athletes only eligible for the 2016 JWC Qualifier.

“The Junior World Cup is an important element in Field Hockey Canada’s High Performance Strategy and overall Talent Development Program,” says Alan Brahmst, Director of High Performance and National Teams.  “Our Target 2013 Squads were assembled in 2010, three years prior to the 2013 JWC – we now have a comprehensive Junior Program lead by full-time staff.  The Women’s U17 Squad was identified in 2011 and has the opportunity to gain its first taste of international competition at the end of this month, a full 5 years before the 2017 JWC.  We are happy with the progress of our National Junior Programs and we are committed to continued growth of the Target 2017 Program, for both men and women.”