Women’s World Cup Qualifier squad named

November 18, 2009

Field Hockey Canada and head coach Louis Mendonca released on Wednesday the names of 27 players who will form Canada’s national women’s training squad preparing for their FIH World Cup Qualifier in 2010.

The announcement comes at the end of a national training camp held in Vancouver over the weekend that saw dozens of athletes showcase their skills for the national coaching staff.

British Columbia is the most represented on the squad with 19 athletes.  Ontario follows with six while Alberta and Prince Edward Island each have one player.

Veteran athletes such as Katie Rushton and Stephanie Jameson will be joined by newcomers Michelle Weber and Carolina Romeo.  All of whom will be challenging for a spot on the eventual 16-person team roster.

The World Cup qualifiers will take place between March 20 and April 27, 2010 in Chile, Italy, and the United States.  The allocation of specific teams to each tournament is yet to be made official by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) but due to their ranking it is expected that Canada will compete in the U.S.

Canada is currently ranked 19th in the world by the FIH.

Part of the team’s preparation will also include a tour in early 2010 at an unidentified location.

The following are the 27 players who have been named to the national training squad: