Next Generation of Canadian superstars will play a test-series in France
Field Hockey Canada is thrilled to announce the Under-18 Women’s National Team that will travel to France in April for a training tour and test series. Formed yearly, the U18 National Team will train and tour in preparation for moving up the NextGen ladder towards the Junior National Team. This U18 cohort is next in line to progress into the Junior ranks and prepare for Junior Pan American Championships and Junior World Cups in years to come.
The U18 team is led by head coach Chris Tyrrell and assistant coaches Andrea Gibson and Sofia Walia. The team returns five athletes from last year’s U18 National Team and brings up nine athletes that took part in last year’s U16 test-series versus the US. Tyrrell said that the international game is played at a higher level and that it’s really important to get these competition elements for player development.
“The game is faster and more demanding than the level junior athletes are typically exposed to domestically. The players are fitter, they make better decisions, they make less errors, and more is required tactically,” Tyrrell said. “Experiencing this firsthand is an invaluable lesson that there really is no substitute for.”
According to Tyyrell, the international exposure at this level also prepares these athletes for what it could be like at the senior level.
“[These tours] give a small window into what it might be like to be a senior international player. Not everything is the same of course but we want the players on these junior teams to aspire to one day be representing Team Canada on the biggest stage,” he said. “That’s a big dream and these junior tours can give athletes a feel for what the practicalities of living that dream might be.”
Stay tuned for more coverage of this team as they prepare and travel to France for their training tour and international test-series.
ROSTER
| PLAYER NAME | HOMETOWN | POSITION | CLUB/SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Adams | Victoria, BC | FWD | Lynx FHC |
| Sierra Blackburn | Kitchener, ON | MID | A&C Academy |
| Sydney Blackburn | Kitchener, ON | MID | A&C Academy |
| Nadine Brenninkmeyer | West Vancouver, BC | MID | West Vancouver FHC |
| Wynn Brown | Vancouver, BC | DEF | Lynx FHC |
| Anais Chace | Vancouver, BC | GK | Lynx FHC |
| Emily Rose Chisholm | Burlington, ON | MID | GOA Reds |
| Stella Goddard-Despot | North Vancouver, BC | MID | West Vancouver FHC |
| Prabhleen Grewal | Calgary, AB | FWD | King XI FHC |
| Lindsey Hills | North Vancouver, BC | MID | Sea to Sky FHC |
| Maddie Hunter | Victoria, BC | FWD | Lynx FHC |
| Stella Malinowski | Vancouver, BC | MID | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Rylie Novak | Vancouver, BC | MID | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Georgia Grace Reynolds | Vancouver, BC | DEF | Polar Bears FHC |
| Ella Rideout | Vancouver, BC | DEF | Sea to Sky FHC |
| Calista Schwartz | Vancouver, BC | DEF | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Rebecca Stone | Victoria, BC | MID | Lynx FHC |
| Sasha Streu | Vancouver, BC | GK | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Brooke Walsh | Stratford, PEI | MID | Field Hockey PEI |
| Brooklyn Widdess | Kelowna, BC | FWD | Kelowna Secondary School |
| RESERVES | |||
| Hailey Bauder | Kingston, ON | DEF | Dolphins |
| Ella Bonnell | Milton, ON | MID | A&C Academy |
| Chantal Flaminman | Richmond, BC | MID | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Alicia Lung | Vancouver, BC | MID | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| Keira Mason | Vancouver, BC | DEF | Vancouver Hawks FHC |
| STAFF | |||
| Chris Tyrrell | Dublin, IRE | Head Coach | VRC Jokers |
| Andrea Gibson | Coquitlam, BC | Assistant Coach | Sea to Sky FHC |
| Sofia Walia | Surrey, BC | Assistant Coach | |
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