First 11 Field Hockey 1

6 February 2017Brianne P, Captain, Mackenzie ‘17; Photo by Olivia B, Alexandra '17

With only five returning players, our team was young and inexperienced, but that didn’t hold us back. We kicked off our season hosting the Friendship Cup. It was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and learn a new system; we worked hard and finished 3rd. Next we competed in the ISAs at SLS and the CAIS tournament at GNS. Although we did not always have the results we wanted, we continued to work hard and develop as a team. A highlight of the season was a Showcase game vs a Cowichan 2nd XI which boast five junior provincial players. We played under the lights on the turf in front of a home crowd. It was an excellent game with us losing in a sudden-death shootout. At the Island Championships, our hard work paid off as a 3-0 win over GNS secured us a berth at the Provincials. We finished 2nd on the Island losing 2-0 to SMUS in the final. While the other students left on midterm, we headed off to Provincials in Surrey. As we lost some players to the university tour, Charlotte B & Megan K joined us and were great additions to the team. Hampered by illness, we tied SOSS in our 1st game even though we had the majority of the play. Not to be discouraged, we regrouped, remained focused, and continued to improve. Tying SOSS in pool play, we had to go to a shootout. We played them a second time, drew again, and faced a second shootout. Our “flame on” ritual was good luck as we beat them both times and advanced to play for 5th against JL Crowe. Although we lost the game 2-1, it was a great match. We finished 6th in the province which was an excellent result for our young team. We cannot thank Ms Martin and Coach Sloboda enough for their support and for believing in us; we could not have done it without them. Brianne P, Captain, Mackenzie ‘17 Coach’s Note: Congratulations to Brianne P for receiving the Hall Mackenzie Award for her service and contribution to the program, and to Pria F for receiving the Grimes Award for her inspirational leadership both on and off the field.

Where Students Choose To Be