VICTORIA, B.C. – The University of Victoria Vikes women's field hockey team got off to a good start for their 2014 CIS campaign with a convincing 6-0 win over the Calgary Dinos on Sept. 13. Six goals from six different contributors was the difference at Hawkings Field in Calgary, Alta.
 
The Vikes capitalized on three penalty corners and earned just as many from the field, showing their variety in ability to score. Rookie Lindsay Cole started her Canada West season on a high scoring in her first game, while Mei Lin Cheung, Emily Bennett, Amanda Kurinaowicz, Annie Walters-Shumka and Marin Davidson each tallied in the match. Second-year Kamloops native Larissa Piva was credited the shutout.
 
For Calgary, it was tough start for a young squad that turned over 11 players including Canada West all-stars and former CIS All-Canadians Keara Chicquen and Courtney Duggan.  With only five players returning, head coach Henre Meyer is also new to the team, only in his second season.
 
"It was really exciting for me to watch today," said Lynne Beecroft, who entered her 31^st season as head coach of the Vikes. "We really played as a team. It was just magical. We scored some very good goals – on corners, deflections, from all angles. I told this quote to the girls before the game and it really is true: 'It's amazing how well you can do when you don't care who gets the recognition.'"
 
The Vikes opened the scoring in the fifth minute of play after a nice give and go sparked by Kurianowicz, who sprung Cheung to score the eventual game winner. Just 10 minutes later and second year Bennett had a well-executed reverse stick deflection on a penalty corner strike to make it 2-0.
 
In the 27^th minute of play third-year central defender Walters-Shumka had a solo effort up the middle of the pitch. The Claremont grad wasted no time unleashing a quick back-hand shot from the top of the pitch that ricocheted off a Dinos defender to make it 4-0. The scoreline remained unchanged entering the break.
 
In the second half, the Vikes continued to be in the driving seat with some solid captaining by third-year defender Andrea Jones. The Vancouver native was pivotal in distribution throughout the entire match and helped keep the team organized.
 
Cole put in a deflection on a penalty corner in the 52^nd minute to up the visitors' lead by five, while Davidson rounded out the scoring in the 61^st minute. Davidson's goal was scored on a well-timed reverse stick deflection that originated from a cross by Walters-Shumka.
 
"We really just need to stay patient and play composed," added Beecroft on her thoughts about tomorrow's rematch. "We have to continue to go back to the basics and do those well and consistently."
 
The final score remained 6-0 for the Vikes, who now boast a 1-0-0 record, while Calgary fall to 0-1-0 in the Canada West. Both teams will meet again tomorrow, Sept. 14, on Hawkings Field at 12 p.m. Pacific Time.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
CGY: 0 - 0 : 0
UVIC: 4 – 2 : 6
 
GOAL SCORERS
UVIC: Mei Lin Cheung (5'), Emily Bennett (16'), Amanda Kurianowicz (25'), Annie Walters-Shumka (27'), Lindsay Cole (52'), Marin Davidson (18')