2009 conference record: 5-4-3 (2nd)
2009 CIS Playoffs: 2-1-2 (Bronze)
Last CW Title: 2002
Last CIS title: 2008
VICTORIA - The 2009 CIS bronze medalist UVic Vikes women's field hockey team returns to the pitch this weekend for the start of what head coach #
Lynne Beecroft# hopes is another medal-worthy campaign.
OVERVIEW
A preseason sweep of east coast NCAA competition, in which the Vikes never allowed a single goal, has set high expectations for the 2010 club. But when playing for a program that has won 11 CIS banners, the gold standard is always the ultimate goal.
2009 IN REVIEW
Last fall the Vikes finished second in the conference with a 5-4-3 mark and would pick up their 26th medal in 27 appearances at the CIS Championship. At the UVic-hosted national tournament, the Vikes defeated top-seeded Guelph 2-1 in the bronze medal game. The Vikes graduated five players from last year's club including All-Canadians Katie Collison and Natalie Wise.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
The strength of the Vikes will once again be on defence. The Vikes, who surrendered a league-best nine goals last season, return Tournament XI
Kyla Kirby and two-time All-Canadians #
Perri Espeseth# and goalie #
Kaitlyn Williams#. #
Danielle Hennig#, who made her national team debut this summer, will help pace the offensive attack alongside veterans #
Courtney Low#, #
Angela Buttress# and #
Whitney Siegmann#.
OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS
Victoria's own
Courtney Ellis has committed to UVic after playing alongside several Vikes on the BC Island squad that won the Senior National tournament this summer. Four other Team BC members also join the ranks, including Kayleen Van der Ree,
Carly Krestanovich,
Alexis Veljacic, and Stephanie Hatch. Hatch is no stranger to big-game heroics, as the Kelowna Sec. grad scored the winning goal in last fall's AAA Provincial championship victory.
COACH'S COMMENTS
“We had four games in Boston and we won all four. It's a very good start for us. The kids really got along well on the tour and I think that augurs well,” Beecroft said. “Right now we have
Perri Espeseth, our only fifth year player and the one we will rely on the most. She's definitely one of our best defenders and she has probably on of the best hits out of the backfield.
Kaitlyn Williams probably had her best preseason in the four years that we've had her.”
2010 Canada West Fall schedule