It has been two years since a National Championship event has been conducted in Canada following the 2019 edition. The championships season kicks off today, Jul. 30, with the Under 18 men’s and women’s national championship hosted by Field Hockey BC at Tamanawis Park in Surrey, B.C.
Download Tournament Schedule (PDF)
The women’s side includes two teams of four pools represented by four provinces and following pool-play the teams will compete for a tiered medal. Alberta, four B.C. teams, PEI and two Ontario teams make up the women’s competition. Fabulous female coaching staff are present including former Canadian national team members Krista Thompson (BC Blue), Margaret Pham (BC White), Ali Baggott (BC Island), Andrea Rushton (BC Island), Northeastern university standout Nicky Graham all coaching B.C. women’s teams, as well as former national team captain Katie Baker (PEI). Ontario teams will be led by the experienced Ozias D’Souza (Ontario White) and Dave Cox (Ontario Red), while Laura Jacobs and Lotte de Beijer lead Alberta.
On the men’s side, a five-team pool that includes two B.C. teams (one U18 and one U16), Alberta, Ontario and Quebec will take place at the two-field venue. Sean Pereira and current national team member Alison Lee head the Ontario men’s team, while men’s national program players Richard Hildreth and Chris Tardiff lead a talented Quebec side. From Alberta, Said Gilmutdinov leads Alberta, while B.C. is led by John Sacre and Kent McKinon for U18 BC and Chris Roydhouse and Muhammad Imran lead BC U16.
“We are so excited to see everyone back after a very tough pandemic and are thrilled about being reunited once again,” said Susan Ahrens, CEO of Field Hockey Canada. “The National Championships is a key part of the Field Hockey Canada pathway for players, coaches, umpires and officials. Equally important it is our annual opportunity to bring our community together.”
B.C. tournament directors for the men’s and women’s event are Brenda Rushton of Victoria, B.C., Sue Jameson of Vancouver, B.C, and Michelle McNaughton of Chilliwack, B.C.
“We are so pleased that after the two-year COVID-19 pandemic hiatus, we are able to resume these high-performance championships. These events are crucial for Canada’s top athletes and officials to showcase their skills and knowledge of the great game of field hockey,” welcomed Denise McGeachy, President of Field Hockey BC and the hosting organization. “I hope these National Championships give you a positive experience, friendships and memories for your life-long field hockey career.”
The men’s tournament growth to five teams is an improvement from the three-team 2019 edition where B.C. took gold over Quebec, followed by Alberta. On the women’s side, the Vancouver Island-based BC Stags beat the Vancouver-mainland based BC Rams 1-0 for the gold medal, while Ontario Central beat out Ontario West for the bronze.
Be sure to come check out the event at the Tamanawis Park in Surrey this week. Medal games are as follows:
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
8:00 am Women’s Tier 2 Bronze (Pitch 2)
8:00 am Women’s Tier 1 Bronze (Pitch 1)
10:00 am Men’s Bronze (Pitch 1)
10:00 am Women’s Tier 2 Final (Pitch 2)
12:00 am Women’s Tier 1 Final (Pitch 1)
2:00 pm Men’s Final (Pitch 1)
*all times above listed in Pacific Time.
FOLLOW THE U18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
U18 Men’s Tournament: Rosters & Live Scoring
U18 Women’s Tournament: Rosters & Live Scoring
Follow and tag @fieldhockeycan on all channels (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) for photos, videos, results and more.
