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FH: New season begins Saturday

September 30, 2021

VANCOUVER - The 2021 Canada West field hockey season gets underway on Saturday, with all three programs in action as the conference is set to use an alternate schedule format this season.

The teams will play a total of eight regular season games during two separate double round-robin events. The first weekend of play in Victoria will feature four matches for each team.

The Victoria Vikes and Calgary Dinos are first to get things going with an 11:00 a.m. PDT start on Friday. The Dinos will play back-to-back games on opening day, with a 4:00 p.m. matchup against the UBC Thunderbirds.

Teams will travel to Vancouver for the second weekend of games, October 22-24.

The Victoria Vikes are coming off of back-to-back conference and national titles in 2018 and 2019. The Vikes posted a 4-0-4 record to claim their 21st conference banner in program history.

The Canada West champion is awarded to the top finisher in the regular season standings. The winner will represent the conference at the best-of-three U SPORTS national championship, hosted by the winner of the OUA.

2021 TEAM PREVIEWS

CALGARY DINOS

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2019 CW regular season record: 0-5-3, 3rd in CW
Interim Head coach: Heather Ramsay (1st season) / 0-0-0 (Career CW reg. season record)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 1974 / 2
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: None


2019 CW regular season ranks:
  • Offence: 11 goals for, Tied 1st in CW
  • Defence: 16 goals against, 3rd in CW
2019 CW regular season leaders: (list returning players only)
  • Goals: 1 - Jennifer Wishart, F; Abigail Fung, M
  • Wins: None
Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team):
  • Ella Blanke / M / 1 / Calgary, Alta. / Calgary Cougars FHC
  • Jaydn Campbell / D / 1 / Calgary, Alta. / St. Mary's HS
  • Madison Gaffney / D / 1 / Calgary, Alta. / Field Hockey Alberta
  • Maisie Hastings / F / 1 / West Vancouver, B.C. / Collingwood HS
Key losses (name / position / hometown / years with program):
  • Jenna Birch-Jones / D/M / North Vancouver, B.C. / 5
  • Amanda Brown / D / Calgary, Alta. / 5
  • Nicole Brown / M / Calgary, Alta. / 5
Key performer:
  • Madison MacMillan
  • Defender
  • 3rd-year
  • West Vancouver, B.C.
As the Dinos continue to raise the bar each season and put pressure on UBC and Victoria, they will rely on a strong defensive presence. Madison MacMillan will lead the Dinos backfield but will have support from a well-rounded core that includes goalkeeper Tayler Guy, midfielder Melanie Scholz, and forward Jennifer Wishart.


UBC THUNDERBIRDS

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2019 CW regular season record: 2-1-5, 2nd in CW
Head coach: Poonam Sandhu (4th season) / 6-2-8 (Career CW reg. season record)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 2017 / 25
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 2017 / 19

2019 CW regular season ranks:
  • Offence: 11 goals for, 1st in CW
  • Defence: 10 goals against, 2nd in CW
2019 CW regular season leaders: (returning)
  • Goals: 3 - Sara Goodman, Defender
  • Wins: 2 - Hannah Rumble
Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team):
  • Lize Huibregtsen / D / 1 / Haarlem, Netherlands
  • Liz Mathisen / M/F / 1 / West Vancouver, B.C. / Collingwood Secondary
  • Mikayla Stelling / M/F / 1 / Vancouver, B.C. / Canadian Junior Women's National Team
  • Kaia Cooper / M / 1 / North Vancouver, B.C. / West Vancouver Field Hockey Club
  • Ishavel Sekhon / GK / 1 / Surrey, B.C. / U17 National Team
Key losses (name / position / hometown / years with program):
  • Hannah Eborall / D / Beamsville, Ont. / 5
  • Margaret Pham / F / Mississauga, Ont. / 5
Key performer:
  • Sara Goodman
  • Defender
  • 4th
  • Duncan, B.C.
Named the 2019 Canada West Field Hockey Player of the Year, Sara Goodman has been an integral part of the Thunderbirds' success. Despite playing as the last person back, Goodman tied for the most goals in the league with three in eight games in 2019. From deceptive outletting to sensational tackling, Goodman hardly steps off the pitch as she is called upon heavily at both ends.



VICTORIA VIKES

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2019 CW regular season record: 4-0-4, 1st
Head coach: Lynne Beecroft (36th Season) / 238-60-73 (Career CW reg. season record)
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 2019 / 21
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 2019 / 13

2019 CW regular season ranks:
  • Offence: 11 goals for, T-1 in CW
  • Defence: 5 goals against, 1st in CW
2019 CW regular season leaders: (returning)
  • Goals: 2 - Erin Dawson, Forward & Janet Dawson, Forward
  • Wins: 4 - Robin Fleming, Goalkeeper
Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team):
  • Libby Hogg / Defence / First / Victoria, BC / Island Wildcats
  • Alison Drummond / Defence / First / North Vancouver, BC / Field Hockey Canada NextGEN U18
Key losses (name / position / hometown / years with program):
  • Leina Dueck / Forward / North Vancouver, BC / 4
  • Zow Brown / Forward / Kelowna, BC / 3
Key performer:
  • Anna Mollenhauer
  • Defender
  • Fourth
  • Victoria, BC
Coming off helping the Team Canada Junior Women's Field Hockey team win gold at the 2021 Pan American games, including the scoring the winning goal in Canada's game against Uruguay.

A two-time All-Canadian and Top 8 Academic All-Canadian, Mollenhauer was a key part of helping the Vikes to back-to-back Canada West and U SPORTS championships in 2019. Named the 2019 U SPORTS national championship MVP, Mollenhauer had a two-goal day against Guelph to lead Victoria to the gold on its home turf at UVic.