Between May 30th and June 14th, we held 6 Club Championships and Festivals in conjunction with our local clubs. We would like to thank all of the athletes, coaches, umpires, volunteers and tournament organizers for helping us run such successful tournaments! Special thanks to the Vancouver Hawks for hosting the U13 Boys Club Festival, the Victoria Junior Field Hockey Association for hosting the U15 Boys Club Championships, the Burnaby Lake Field Hockey Club for hosting the U13 Girls Club Festival, and the Chilliwack Pink Panthers for hosting the U15 Girls Club Championships! We would not be able to hold these tournaments without your support.

Visit our Facebook page for photos from the U18 Boys & Girls Championships, and the U15 Girls Championships, and the U13 Boys & Girls Festivals. 

 From June 19th-21st, we had 7 of our junior provincial teams compete at the India Club Tournament in Surrey. This tournament has become a staple in our BC teams preparation for their respective National Championships. The U18 Boys Team finished 4th in the U21 Division. The U18 Girls Blue Team finished 2nd in the U21 Division, while the U18 Girls White Team finished 4th. The U15 Girls Blue Team finished 3rd in the U17 Division, while the U15 Girls White Team finished 5th. The U15 Boys White Team finished 4th in the U17 Division. The U15 Boys Blue Team finished 1st in the U17 Division, winning gold after going to strokes in the final. Congratulations to all of our athletes for all their hard work at the tournament!

Attention will now shift to final preparations for the U16 & U18 National Championships. Our U15 Boys and Girls Teams will be leaving for Ontario on July 24th, where they will watch the finals of the Pan Am Games before competing in the U16 National Championships in Brampton from July 28th to August 4th. Meanwhile, our U18 Girls BC Teams will compete at the U18 National Championships in Surrey from August 5th to 8th.

India Club Tournament Gold Medalists - U15 Boys BC Blue Team

U15 Girls BC White Team Selfie

The inaugural Americas Masters Games are set to be hosted in Vancouver in the Summer of 2016. From August 27th to September 4th a total of 28 different sports will be played across Vancouver, including field hockey! The Masters Games are an inclusive competition open to anyone over the age of 30 and of any skill level. Field Hockey BC is pleased to be partnering with the Games to hold a fun and exciting field hockey tournament. We will be releasing more information as it comes, so stay tuned! 

On May 28th, Shelley Winter Andrews was joined by family and friends at the Banquet of Champions to celebrate her induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Shelley was a Varsity, Provincial and Canadian field hockey stand-out in the 1970s & 80s, and as such has become the first field hockey player to be inducted into the hall of fame in the athlete category. Shelley helped Canada achieve some of it's best results. She was a part of the National Team that placed 5th at the 1984 Olympics, as well as on the World Cup Teams that finished 2nd in 1983 and 3rd in 1986. Congratulations, once again, to Shelley on this amazing recognition!

To read more about Shelley's accomplishments in field hockey, click here.
 

Congratulations to North Vancouver native, Holly Stewart, on being named the 2015 America East Woman of the Year. Holly has spent the past 4 years at the University of Maine where she has excelled in both academics and athletics. She graduated in December with more than a 3.75 GPA and has earned several all-conference honours over the last 4 years for field hockey. Now that Holly has finished her degree, she has been committed to the Women's National Field Hockey Team and will be representing Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.

Congratulations again Holly!
 

Holly (middle) with UMaine head coach Josette Babineau (left) and assistant coach Courtney Veinotte (right)

The Canadian Men's National Team had a great run at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Men finished 3rd in their pool and went on to face New Zealand in a crucial Quarter-final match. Canada was able to edge out the 7th-ranked Black Sticks team in a shootout that went 14 rounds! Canada then lost to Argentina (ranked 5th) and the Netherlands (ranked 2nd) to end up finishing 4th. The top 3 teams from this tournament automatically qualify for the Hockey World League Finals and the 2016 Olympic Games, but the 4th place finish still gives Canada a great chance of qualifying for the Olympics as well. Canada will also have another shot at securing Olympic qualification at the Pan Am Games in Toronto in July.

Canada's goalkeeper, David Carter, earned both the Goalkeeper of the Tournament Award and Player of the Tournament Award. Carter was outstanding in Canada's net and a crucial part of their overall success.

Read more from Field Hockey Canada here. 

David Carter & Adam Froese celebrate Canada's shoot-out win over 7th-ranked New Zealand

The Canadian Women's National Team battled some big competition at the World League Semi-Finals in Valencia, Spain. The team was unable to move into the quarter-finals of the tournament, after losing in pool play to China, Argentina, Great Britain, and Spain. Canada ultimately beat Uruguay 2-0 in their final match of the tournament, landing them in 9th place overall.  

The Women will now focus on the Pan Am Games in Toronto in July, where they will have another shot at Olympic qualification.

Read more information from Field Hockey Canada here.

Natalie Sourisseau in control against Spain