(Photo: Yan Huckendubler)
In their first match since winning bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto last summer, the Canadian women’s field hockey team took to the field in Chula Vista, California Monday dropping an 8-1 decision to North American rival the United States.
It was not only the first game action for the Women’s National Team since last summer but also the first time they faced the seventh ranked, and 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games champion, U.S. since falling 3-0 to the States in the Pan Am Games semifinal.
Hannah Haughn, playing in her 99th senior international match for Canada, scored the lone Canadian goal in Monday’s match.
The United States got on the board early in the match with Michelle Kasold and Julia Reinprecht scoring in the seventh and eighth minutes respectively.
Katie Bam added a third American goal in the tenth minute and the Canadians quickly found themselves behind.
Haughn, however, was able to get Canada on the board before the quarter was out, as she put one by American keeper Alesha Widdal in the thirteenth minute.
The deficit would be too much for the Canadians to overcome and the Americans would go to take game one of the four game series by a score of 8-1.’
Of note for the Canadians, Nikki Woodcroft and goalkeeper Rowan Harris – who came in in relief of Kaitlyn Williams in the 31st minute – played in their first senior international matches for Canada.
It is expected that Haughn will play in her 100th match on Tuesday (2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET) and become the youngest Canadian women ever to reach that mark.
Full match details can be seen here. And the series schedule and results can be seen here.
