VICTORIA, B.C. – The 2011-12 University of Victoria Vikes women's field hockey team will be relying on some pre-season team chemistry to quickly bring the recently named squad onto the same page for this year's Canada West season. They will head to Boston, Ma., from Aug. 23 to Sept. 1 for training and a four game series against Ivy League competitors Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth and Brown.
Entering her 28th year as head coach, #
Lynne Beecroft# will be without several key players from last year including three-time All-Canadian defender and 2010 President's Cup winner #
Perri Espeseth#, as well as graduates
Gillian Wright and
Katie Bennett. Midfielder #
Danielle Hennig# and goalkeeper #Kaitlyn Willams#, will also be missing out on this season in order to represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games this October in Guadalajara, Mexico.
“To lose all-stars and athletes to the national team will certainly hurt but it will also give an excellent opportunity to the other girls to step up and show how they can contribute,” said Beecroft.
Last season, the Vikes finished second in the Canada West with a 6-4-2 record going on to the CIS National Championships to finish in fourth place. This year, Beecroft and assistant coach #
Krista Thompson# will be leaning on Canada West all-star defender #
Kyla Kirby#, along with returning veterans
Jasleen Aujla (Surrey, BC), #
Courtney Low# and #
Whitney Siegmann# to lead the team towards a potential 12th CIS National Championship banner.
Beecroft said she will be looking to the veterans to “help pass on the Vikes tradition of excellence overall, not just as a team but as people, athletes and teammates.”
The team also bodes a strong contingency of rookies including
Leah Farnan and #
Sam Purcell# of West Vancouver, #
Emily Fisher# of Unionville, Ont., and recent 2011 Western Canada Summer games gold medalist #
Marisa Davidson# of Kelowna, B.C. The team roster will also include Junior National team member and Oak Bay high graduate #
Kathleen Leahy#.
After suffering a devastating knee injury early this summer, Leahy's talents will have to be put on hold for this season; however, she will be included in the team as much as possible and will be focusing on her rehab to be ready for the 2012-13 season.
“We will have our work cut out for us this year as only two teams from the Canada West, other than the hosts Calgary, will qualify for Nationals,” Beecroft said. “The rookies will really help the team because they bring a whole new level of excitement and energy.”
The Vikes will start their
Canada West season with a road trip to the University of Calgary for a double header against the Dinos on Sept. 17 and 18 at 1 p.m. PST at Hawkings Field. The team will be hoping to return to the very same field for the CIS National Championships being hosted for the first time by the University of Calgary on Nov. 3-6, 2011.
