The Victoria Junior Field Hockey Association is hosting the annual COME TRY THE GAME FREE session in the lead up to the Junior Spring League season. This is an open, free session for boys and girls aged 4-18 to try the game for free. Sticks, balls, coaching and FUN are all provided!

Bring your kids, your friends’ kids and your neighbours and help spread the passion for the game of Field Hockey!

WHEN: Sunday, March 6, 2016
TIME: 9:00-10:00 am
WHO: Boys and Girls, Age 4-18
BRING: Comfortable clothing and running shoes
PROVIDED: Sticks, balls and coaching

REGISTER ONLINE NOW HERE:
http://www.teampages.com/forms/1073-Sign-Up-for-Come-Try-the-Game-Free

Visit: victoriajuniorfieldhockey.ca for more information

Note: The Victoria Junior League season runs from April 2 to June 20. To register online for the Junior League season visit:
http://vjfha.victoriajuniorfieldhockey.ca/clubs/393/announcements/1151505-2016-Registration-

For more information or questions, please contact: info@victoriajuniorfieldhockey.ca

HELP WANTED!

Lansdowne Middle School is looking for a middle school field hockey coach for the months of April to May. Games are once a week, either Tuesdays or Thursday from 3:45-5:30 pm at UVIC and practices will be based on coach availability.

Interested Coaches should e-mail:
Paul Stevenson, Vice-Principal at pstevenson@sd61.bc.ca

For more information, contact:
Shelley Andrews at: sandrewsrrbc@gmail.com

Note: Shelley is willing to help with the team but is looking for a lead coach.

The 2016 Victoria-hosted Masters Tournament dates have been announced over the Easter long weekend, March 26 and 27, and players and teams are invited to register now!

COST: $330 per team
WHEN: March 26 & 27, 2016
WHERE: University of Victoria
WHO: Teams or Players (in their 30th year or older)

Please make cheques payable to “Oak Bay Ladies Field Hockey Club”
Mail: Attention Pat Hall 673 Charmar Crescent, Victoria BC V9B 5W2

Tentative schedule will run Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

For more information please contact Pat Hall at pathall36@shaw.ca

Please note: Schedule and cost is subject to change based upon final number of participating teams.

It has been a busy month for the Canadian women’s national team at both the senior and junior level. Island talent on the national squads have slowly been increasing as Field Hockey Canada announced this week both the senior national team touring to Chula Vista, USA from Feb. 8-12 and the junior national team competing at the Pan American Junior Championship in Trinidad and Tobago Mar. 29 to Apr. 10.

In January the Under 21 women’s national team toured Chile and played seven exhibition games there, winning three of the lot, and from there a squad was picked for the Pan American Junior team. Victoria’s Lindsay Cole and Alexis De Armond, both Mount Douglas Secondary grads, current Victoria Vikes and former Lynx Club members, as well as Cowichan Secondary’s Sara Goodman were picked for the tour. All three were also named to the recent Pan American Junior Championship team.

Eighteen athletes were named to this tournament, which serves as a 2016 Junior World Cup qualifier. The top two finishers at the tournament will earn a spot at the 2016 Junior Women’s World Cup to be played in Chile from Nov. 23 to Dec. 4, 2016.

Full U21 Roster: http://www.fieldhockey.ca/2016/01/28/canadian-team-named-for-junior-womens-pan-american-championships/

In addition to the junior national team selection, De Armond will get her first crack at the senior national team as the first-year Vike was selected for her first senior tour at the Olympic Training grounds in San Diego in mid-February. The team arrives Feb. 5 and trains for two days before gearing up for matches against the USA on Feb. 8, 9, 11 and 12.

Canada and the United States last met in the 2015 Pan Am Games semi-final when the Americans (ranked seventh in the world) narrowly defeated the host Canadians 3-0. The Americans went on to repeat as champion, while the Canadians beat Chile 1-0 in the bronze medal game, earning a medal at the Pan Ams for the first time since 1999.

De Armond will join senior national squad athletes Kathleen Leahy, Maddie Secco and Rosie Beale, all Victoria natives and members of the Lynx Club. Former University of Victoria Vikes members Thea Culley, Danielle Hennig and Kaitlyn Williams were also named to the team and form the core of the veteran leadership on the team.

Full Senior Roster: http://www.fieldhockey.ca/2016/01/27/womens-national-team-roster-named-for-february-series-with-u-s/

VICTORIA, B.C. – As the winter months continue to drop the temperature the University of Victoria Vikes women’s field hockey team are hosting the annual UVic Indoor Tournament at the McKinnon Gymnasium Jan. 23-24.

The seven-team indoor tournament is the only one of its kind in Victoria as the adapted, indoor version of the game is significantly less popular in Western Canada. With thinner sticks, six players on the floor per team, side boards to keep the ball in play and no hitting, this version of hockey is high scoring, fast paced and more than just entertaining. A strong focus on technical speed and skill puts good teams ahead of others and while the indoor sport is a growing game in North America, the Vikes have always integrated it into their training.

Unlike past years, the Vikes will be entering just one team into the tournament, while local teams the Island Wildcats, the Islanders, Shawnigan and the Valley Vixens will also make a reappearance. Mainland teams traveling to compete include recent CIS champions, the UBC Thunderbirds, as well Vancouver premier league members, West Vancouver.

The Vikes are coming off a recent win at the Hawks Indoor Tournament, Jan. 9-10, where fourth-year forward Amanda Kurianowicz was the tournament MVP and the Vikes’ top goal scorer. The Vikes will also boast Larissa Piva in net as well as the strengths of defender Annie Walters-Shumka and fellow island natives Stefanie Langkammer, Jenna Dhillon, Lizzie Yates and Kristina Walters-Shumka.

The Wildcats will feature local young talents from recent AAA provincial championship-winning Cowichan High Robin Fleming and Brittany Smith, while ex-Vikes Kyla Kirby, Cara Jay and Sandy Zinkowski will suit up along side youngsters Clarie Church and Stefanie Sajko. The Islanders team will be under the leadership of Olympian Nancy Mollenhauer as well as former Vike Emily Fisher and a group of Lynx Club members Nicole Gaul, Cara Butler, Natalie Boraston and Anna Mollenhauer. The Valley Vixens will feature a mix of Cowichan players, while experienced line ups will be expected from UBC and West Vancouver.

The indoor game is often a more entertaining version for spectators as there are more goals, it is faster and it is held inside. Games are two 25-minute halves and admission is free.

A combination of up-and-coming youth as well as several ex-internationals and elite players will compete this weekend for the annual title.

2016 UVIC INDOOR TOURNAMENT

Pool A: Wildcats, Valley Vixens, UBC
Pool B: UVic, Shawnigan, West Van, Islanders

Saturday, January 23
10:00 am UVic vs Shawnigan
11:00 am Wildcats vs Valley Vixens
12:00 pm Islanders vs West Van
1:00 pm Wildcats vs UBC
2:00 pm UVic vs West Van
3:00 pm Shawnigan vs Islanders
4:00 pm UBC vs Valley Vixens
5:00 pm UVic vs Islanders
6:00 pm Shawnigan vs West Van

Sunday, January 24
8:00 am 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool B
9:00 am 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B
10:00 am 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool B
11:00 am 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B (5th/6th)
12:00 pm Loser of 9am Game vs Loser of 10 am Game (3rd/4th)
1:00 pm Winner of 8am Game vs Winner of 9am Game (Final)
1:45 pm Presentation of Championship Trophy