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/