News and Announcements

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MIXED 7-ASIDE
In honour of the recent passing of long-time field hockey contributor John Morrison, a mixed 7-aside tournament is being organized to celebrate John’s contributions to sport , especially with Victoria’s junior development and club culture.

WHEN: November 21st. 5:00 – 7:00 pm UVic Turf 1

If anyone is interested in participating or being involved, please reply to Veronica Planella (mvplanella@gmail.com) by Monday, Nov. 16.


JOHN MORRISON:

John Morrison, kilt-wearing, golf-obsessed, coffee-loving foodie, fisherman, gardener, athlete and all round “good man” died on Friday, November 6, 2015 at the age of 57. He fought an almost unprecedented 6-year battle with brain cancer after being told he had 12 months to live. John died as he lived, with courage, kindness, spirit and humour.

John was a big-hearted man of many passions. He loved the water, being both in it and on it. Growing up in Vancouver, he spent childhood summers at Sechelt, fishing, swimming, and vowing never to live far away from the ocean. He eventually settled in Victoria with his family. Always into sports, John swam competitively, raced road bikes, and played and coached field hockey. John discovered the joy (and agony) of golf later in life. Golf allowed him to remain competitive, even through his illness, and led to great friendships with his “Posse” from the Cordova Bay Golf Course where he was a fixture.

John graduated from UBC in Microbiology and went on to become a CA, ultimately becoming CFO at Viking Air. When he could no longer work, he directed his energy into volunteering for Junior Achievement and the Victoria Brain Injury Society.

John’s greatest love was his family. He was adoring and proud father to Fiona and Axel, loving husband of 25 years to Daniela, wonderful brother to Jill (Thom) and Maggie (Tom), brother-in-law to Sue (Stephanie) and Katrin (Rich), and devoted uncle to Mack, Maggie, Angus, Cam, Cole and Finn. John will be dearly missed by them and by his many friends, including his golf “Posse”, business colleagues, field hockey teammates and kids he coached.

The family would like to extend the deepest gratitude to all those who cared for John on his journey – his doctors, nurses, hospice caregivers and volunteers, spiritual healers, and the many dear friends who brought John his favorite daily brew, along with a lot of laughs. John’s story is one of will and determination, and the power of love and support from family and friends. John taught us all that the biggest gift to one’s self is a life well lived.

Please join us to celebrate John’s life on Sunday, November 29, 2015 from 2-5pm at the Church and State Winery, 1445 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood, Victoria. RSVP to celebratejmorrison@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Victoria Hospice.

See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?n=john-h-morrison&pid=176478349#sthash.uKYOHGb7.dpuf

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OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Victoria Vikes women’s field hockey team are poised to hoist what would be their 12th McCrae Cup at this week’s Victoria-hosted CIS-FHC field hockey championship.

Games begin this Thursday, Nov. 5 with the No. 1 Vikes playing the No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues at 6:30 p.m. Ticket information can be found at: http://govikesgo.com/ciswfh

The UBC Thunderbirds have won 16 McCrae Cup titles over the years including the last four in a row, both all-time records, but they are in tough to extend their remarkable streak at this week’s CIS – Field Hockey Canada women’s championship following a challenging Canada West season.

The four-team tournament, hosted by the University of Victoria for the second time in three years and for the seventh time overall, kicks off on Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold-medal final at 3 p.m. Pacific Time All eight games from the tourney will be webcast live on CIS-SIC.tv.

Competing for the 2015 McCrae Cup will be the same four programs as a year ago, including the top-seeded and host Victoria Vikes (Canada West champions), No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA champs), No. 3 UBC (Canada West runners-up) and No. 4 Guelph Gryphons (OUA silver medallists).

The Varsity Blues and Vikes rounded out the 2014 podium, with the Gryphons taking fourth place.

All contenders will play each other once in the preliminary round this week, with the top two finishers advancing to the final and the bottom two teams battling for bronze. Thursday’s opening day will see UBC take on Guelph at 4 p.m. and Victoria face Toronto at 6:30 p.m.

Victoria and Toronto boasts 11 national titles apiece, while Guelph’s best finish at the CIS tournament is a silver medal in 2007.

The Vikes, who last hoisted the coveted trophy in 2008 when the competition was also held in Victoria, enter the 2015 tournament on home turf beaming with confidence thanks to a 3-0-1 record against archrival UBC this season, including 3-0 and 2-0 victories in September, followed by a 1-0 win and a 1-1 draw in early October.

Victoria is led by conference all-stars Annie Walters-Shumka (defence), Lizzie Yates (defence), Kathleen Leahy (defence/midfield) and Amanda Kurianowicz (forward). Leahy and defender Rosie Beale are both members of the Canadian national development team.

“We are excited to be hosting the championship,” said Canada West coach of the year Lynne Beecroft, in her 32nd season at the helm. “With the top four teams in the country participating in this prestigious tournament, we know it will be a challenging four days of competition. With a mix of veterans and rookies, the Vikes are ready to work hard to match the heroics of the 2008 team that captured our 11th CIS/FHC championship.”

Reigning four-time champion UBC, which has won the last two CIS tournaments held at UVic in 2013 and 2009, counters with three Canada West all-stars of its own in league MVP Hannah Haughn (midfield/forward), Gabby Jayme (midfield/forward) and Rowan Harris (goalkeeper). Haughn, the MVP of the 2012 CIS-FHC championship, is the only member of the senior national squad at this week’s tourney, having accumulated no less than 98 caps with the Canadian team over her career.

“We enter the CIS championship with a very young and relatively inexperienced team and we look forward to an exciting and challenging competition,” said head coach Robin D’Abreo, who helped extend the T-Birds record streak a year ago in his first season in charge. “We know we will face an exceptionally talented and hungry UVic team, who will be very tough if not impossible to beat, and some powerhouses from the East. We approach this opportunity with humility, as we always do, and have no expectations at this tournament other than to prepare diligently and focus on our game plan and process.”

Meanwhile in Ontario, Toronto and Guelph battled through a trio of high-scoring affairs this fall, with the Varsity Blues winning 5-2 in September and 4-3 in the OUA final, while the Gryphons prevailed 9-5 in an early October duel. In Saturday’s conference championship match, the Blues erased a 3-0 deficit after 15 minutes of action to stun their archrivals.

Both teams placed three players among OUA all-stars, including Alison Lee (defence), Amanda Woodcroft (midfield) and league MVP Tegan Stairs (forward) for Toronto and Erin Houle (midfield), Moon Weijens (midfield) and Ally Chute (forward) for Guelph. Lee, Stairs and Woodcroft, the MVP of last year’s CIS tourney, are all members of the Canadian senior development squad.

“Our team has been playing at a very good level and I think we’ll have an edge coming off that crazy OUA gold-medal win,” said 10-year U of T bench boss John DeSouza. “We are looking forward to playing the best hockey we can and challenging to bring that red banner back to Toronto.”

“With just one player gone from last season’s squad, we feel like our team this year is a very tight-knit group,” said OUA coach of the year Michelle Turley, in her 12th campaign at the helm. “We have worked hard to build upon some of the success we had last year. We’re thrilled to be back at the CIS championship and the players are determined to seek some redemption after a disappointing showing at last year’s nationals.”

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/fh/index

TEAM PROFILES

NO. 1 VICTORIA VIKES (Canada West champions)
Head Coach: Lynne Beecroft (32nd season)
Regular season record: 7-0-1
Regular season standing: Canada West champions
Playoff record: No playoffs in CW
Playoff finish: No playoffs in CW
Overall record vs. teams at CIS championship: 3-0-1 vs. UBC
Conference award winners: Lynne Beecroft (coach), Kathleen Leahy (outstanding contributor)
Conference all-stars: Annie Walters-Shumka (D), Lizzie Yates (D), Kathleen Leahy (D/M), Amanda Kurianowicz (F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2015): 34th
CIS championship best result: 11-time champions (2008, ’02, ’00, ’97, ’95, ’94, ’92, ’91, ’89, ’87, ’84)
CIS championship last appearance: 2014 (bronze medal)
CIS championship sequence: 4th straight appearance (31st in 33 years)

NO. 2 TORONTO VARSITY BLUES (OUA champions)
Head Coach: John DeSouza (10th season)
Regular season record: 11-1
Regular season standing: 2nd OUA
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: OUA champions
Overall record vs. teams at CIS championship: 2-1 vs. Guelph
Conference award winners: Tegan Stairs (MVP), Hilary Ziraldo (rookie)
Conference all-stars: Alison Lee (D), Amanda Woodcroft (M), Tegan Stairs (F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2015): 38th
CIS championship best result: 11-time champions (2010, ’07, ’96, ’93, ’88, ’86, ’85, ’81, ’79, ’77, ’75)
CIS championship last appearance: 2014 (silver medal)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd straight appearance (11th in 12 years)

NO. 3 UBC THUNDERBIRDS (Canada West runners-up)
Head Coach: Robin D’Abreo (2nd season)
Regular season record: 4-3-1
Regular season standing: Canada West runners-up
Playoff record: No playoffs in CW
Playoff finish: No playoffs in CW
Overall record vs. teams at CIS championship: 0-3-1 vs. Victoria
Conference award winners: Hannah Haughn (MVP)
Conference all-stars: Rowan Harris (G), Hannah Haughn (M/F), Gabby Jayme (M/F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2015): 36th
CIS championship best result: 16-time champions (2014, ’13, ’12, ’11, ’09, ’06, ’04, ’03, ’01, ’99, ’98, ’90, ’83, ’82, ’80, ’78)
CIS championship last appearance: 2014 (champions)
CIS championship sequence: 18th straight appearance (28th in 29 years)

  • NO. 4 GUELPH GRYPHONS (OUA silver medallists)*
    Head Coach: Michelle Turley (12th season)
    Regular season record: 11-1
    Regular season standing: 1st OUA
    Playoff record: 1-1
    Playoff finish: OUA silver medallists
    Overall record vs. teams at CIS championship: 1-2 vs. Toronto
    Conference award winners: Michelle Turley (coach)
    Conference all-stars: Erin Houle (M), Moon Weijens (M), Ally Chute (F)
    CIS championship appearances (including 2015): 10th
    CIS championship best result: Finalists (2007)
    CIS championship last appearance: 2014 (fourth)
    CIS championship sequence: 9th straight appearance

McCRAE CUP CHAMPIONS
2014 UBC
2013 UBC
2012 UBC
2011 UBC
2010 Toronto
2009 UBC
2008 Victoria
2007 Toronto
2006 UBC
2005 Alberta
2004 UBC
2003 UBC
2002 Victoria
2001 UBC
2000 Victoria
1999 UBC
1998 UBC
1997 Victoria
1996 Toronto
1995 Victoria
1994 Victoria
1993 Toronto
1992 Victoria
1991 Victoria
1990 UBC
1989 Victoria
1988 Toronto
1987 Victoria
1986 Toronto
1985 Toronto
1984 Victoria
1983 UBC
1982 UBC
1981 Toronto
1980 UBC
1979 Toronto
1978 UBC
1977 Toronto
1976 Dalhousie
1975 Toronto

SEEDING

1. Victoria Vikes (Canada West champions: 7-0-1 regular season / no playoffs in CW)
2. Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA champions: 11-1-0 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
3. UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West runners-up: 4-3-1 regular season / no playoffs in CW)
4. Guelph Gryphons (OUA silver medallists: 11-1-0 regular season / 1-1 playoffs)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (all times Pacific Time)

  • Wednesday, Nov. 4*
    18:30 All-Canadian Awards Banquet (Harbour Towers Hotel)
  • Thursday, Nov. 5*
    16:00 Game 1: Guelph vs. UBC (CIS-SIC.tv)
    18:30 Game 2: Toronto vs. Victoria (CIS-SIC.tv)
  • Friday, Nov. 6*
    16:00 Game 3: UBC vs. Victoria (CIS-SIC.tv)
    18:30 Game 4: Guelph vs. Toronto (CIS-SIC.tv)
  • Saturday, Nov. 7*
    12:30 Game 5: Guelph vs. Victoria (CIS-SIC.tv)
    15:00 Game 6: UBC vs. Toronto (CIS-SIC.tv)
  • Sunday, Nov. 8*
    12:30 Bronze medal (CIS-SIC.tv)
    15:00 Championship final (CIS-SIC.tv)

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CIS_SIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cissports
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/universitysport
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/CIS_SIC

CIS

For further information, please contact:

Ali Lee
Communications Officer
University of Victoria Vikes
Off: 250-721-8410
Cell: 250-418-5633
vicvikes@uvic.ca

Michel Bélanger
Communications & Media Relations
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Off: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca

MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
The VILFHA Christmas Council meeting will be hosted on December 7, 2015.

When: Dec. 7, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Victoria Curling Club (1952 Quadra Street – Victoria, B.C.)

A copy of the Jan-April will be circulated in mid-late November for your review and for discussion at this Council Meeting.

As per the VILFHA Regulations under Section 4 (Discipline) : 4.1. © Fines shall be implemented on any team (iv) for not having a Team Rep at Council Meetings and/or General Meetings ($25.00)

Please note that you will NOT be required to bring any food this year. Snacks and drinks will be provided. More details will be circulated to captains and team managers.

If you have any questions, please contact Kate Knappett, VILFHA Social Coordinator, at kate-k@shaw.ca

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VICTORIA, B.C. – Following 1-0 and 4-0 victories this weekend over Calgary, the University of Victoria Vikes women’s field hockey team had several islanders honoured by the Canada West. In addition, the Vikes finished the season with a 7-0-1 undefeated record to win the program’s 17th Canada West banner.

UBC fourth-year midfielder Hannah Haughn was named Canada West Player of the Year. Calgary’s Beckett Frisch was named Goalkeeper of the Year for the second-straight season, while Dinos midfielder Sabrina Wong was named Rookie of the Year. Fourth-year Vike Kathleen Leahy (Lynx 1) was honoured with the Gail Wilson Award as the most outstanding contributor, while Leahy’s bench boss Lynne Beecroft was named the conference Coach of the Year for back-to-back years. Victoria’s Tyler Klenk received the Umpire of the Year nod.

Four Vikes were also named to the Canada West All-Star team including Leahy, Amanda Kurianowicz (Flickers), Lizzie Yates (Flickers) and Annie Walters-Shumka (Lynx 1)

GAIL WILSON AWARD (OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR): Kathleen Leahy, Victoria
Fourth-year Vikes midfielder Kathleen Leahy is a three-time Canada West All-Star and former CIS All-Canadian (2013). The current Canadian senior national team member is co-captain of the 2015 Vikes team but is also an exceptional student-athlete and role model. As a member of Canada’s national team Leahy has devoted countless hours between her Vancouver-based national team training and her commitments in Victoria. Despite multiple commitments and travel Leahy manages an 8.17 GPA (on a 9-point scale) in the faculty of Education.

The Victoria native is constantly giving back, finding time in the fall to coach the Oak Bay High School field hockey team for the past four seasons, while also helping coach in the Victoria Junior League and the UVic Rising Stars program. While training in Toronto this past summer Leahy coached with the A&C Academy working with Under 16 and 18 high performance groups. Leahy also volunteers as a lab assistant in the UVic Exercise Physiology labs assisting in lab sessions with equipment set up and clean-up and helping students with material and research protocols. Most recently, she helped create the protocol for testing that would measure leg hemoglobin levels of young female athletes before and after exercise and she is just about to start as a volunteer in a study which will compare the heart rate variability (HRV) of competitive level athletes with the HRV of Special Olympic athletes.

In the late summer, Kathleen travelled to Los Angeles where she watched and interacted with Special Olympics athletes as they competed at the highest possible level – The World Games. She was there as a Student Ambassador for UVic and while there attended a conference where they were able to discuss ideas of diversity and inclusion with some of the top initiative builders in the field.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Lynne Beecroft, Victoria
In her 32nd year of coaching the University of Victoria Vikes women’s field hockey program Lynne Beecroft is named the Canada West Coach of the Year for the second-straight and fifth-overall time. Over the course of her coaching career Beecroft has guided Vikes squads to 11 CIS National titles and 13 of the program’s 17 Canada West championship wins. The UVic program’s last national banner came in 2008 and that win was followed by a reign of UBC championship wins but this season is the real evidence of the re-development that has taken place in Victoria. With eight players in their fourth or fifth year the Vikes women have proved their dominance since the get-go of the 2015 season.

Steadily improving over the past four years this group of athletes, under Beecroft’s guidance, has helped the Vikes reclaim the Canada West banner in both 2013 and 2015, a title that was held by the T-Birds for 10-straight years (2003-2012). Last season the Vikes surrendered the conference title to UBC on a tie-breaker after both teams shared a 5-1-2 record. This season the Vikes went five games before conceding their first goal in a 1-1 draw with UBC on Oct. 11. With an early 5-0-1 record in their first six games the Vikes already guaranteed themselves the Canada West banner, without the results of their final two games, and ultimately nabbed the top seed entering the Victoria-hosted CIS-FHC Championship (Nov. 5-8).

UMPIRE OF THE YEAR: Tyler Klenk, Victoria
A native of Saskatchewan, now Victoria-based umpire Tyler Klenk is the 2015 Canada West Umpire of the Year. Klenk has been a rising official in B.C. the past few years. A former member of the Vikes men’s field hockey program and Canadian junior development squad, Klenk is now focusing on his officiating strengths. Klenk has umpired at multiple Canadian National Championships of varying ages and is one of the top Canadian-rated umpires on Vancouver Island. Klenk brings a high-level of understanding of the game of field hockey, excelling on the pitch with his ability to give good advantage, have exceptional game management strategies and understand top-level of play. Klenk’s abilities as a high performance player have helped him rise quickly to the top of the umpiring scene, while his fitness and agility have contributed to his success in umpiring at the pace of Canada West matches.

ALL-STAR TEAM
Canada West Champions Victoria were evidently awarded four All-Star nods including the third nomination for midfielder Kathleen Leahy and Amanda Kurianowicz, while defender Annie Walters-Shumka earns her second nod and forward-defender Lizzie Yates earns her first. In addition to Haughn’s selection, UBC’s Sarah Keglowitsch, a former Canada West Rookie of the Year, Rowan Harris and Gabby Jayme all earned their first Canada West All-Star award. Calgary’s Frisch, Janelle Rice and Jessica Britton both earned their second-straight all-star award.

2015-16 Canada West Awards
Player of the Year: Hannah Haughn, UBC
Goalkeeper of the Year: Beckett Frisch, Calgary
Rookie of the Year: Sabrina Wong, Calgary
Gail Wilson Award (Outstanding Contributor): Kathleen Leahy, Victoria
Coach of the Year: Lynne Beecroft, Victoria
Umpire of the Year: Tyler Klenk (Victoria)

2015-16 Canada West All-Stars (alphabetical)
Jessica Britton, Calgary
Beckett Frisch, Calgary
Rowan Harris, UBC
Hannah Haughn, UBC
Gabby Jayme, UBC
Sarah Keglowitsch, UBC
Amanda Kurianowicz, Victoria
Kathleen Leahy, Victoria
Janelle Rice, Calgary
Annie Walters-Shumka, Victoria
Lizzie Yates, Victoria

The Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds now move on to the CIS Championship, Nov. 5-8 at the University of Victoria. The Vikes enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed, while the Thunderbirds take the No. 4 hosting seed.

Previous Award & All-Star Selections:
Jessica Britton (Canada West All-Star 2014; Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service 2014)
Beckett Frisch (Canada West All-Star 2014; Canada West Goalkeeper of the Year 2014, Canada West Player of the Year 2014; CIS All-Canadian 2014)
Hannah Haughn (Canada West All-Star 2014, 2013, 2012; Canada West Rookie of the Year 2014, 2013, 2012; CIS Championship MVP 2012; CIS Rookie of the Year 2012; CIS Championship All-Star 2014, 2012; CIS All-Canadian 2012)
Sarah Keglowitsch (Canada West Rookie of the Year 2012)
Amanda Kurianowicz (Canada West All-Star 2014, 2013; CIS Championship All-Star 2014; CIS All-Canadian 2014)
Kathleen Leahy (Canada West All-Star 2014, 2013; CIS Championship All-Star 2014, 2013; CIS All-Canadian 2013)
Janelle Rice (Canada West All-Star 2014)
Annie Walters-Shumka (Canada West All-Star 2012)

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Greetings everyone,

I am the newly elected executive committee member representing grand masters
women hockey players on the Alliance International Hockey Club and I look
forward to working with any of you who are active players aged 60 and above.

I am currently recruiting players for the Grand Masters’ World Cup to be
held in Canberra, Australia from March 28 – April 9, 2016.

Here are links to the tournament:
http://www.imhacanberra2016.com/home

and the Grand Masters World Cup Hockey site:
http://wgmahockey.org/content/grand-masters-hockey-world-cup-women-2016

I know it is a lot to ask, but please give serious consideration to
participating on the Alliance team in Canberra. I really do hope that you
will think about it and ultimately decide to play next spring.

I am reaching out to people in Australia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, and the
U.S. in an attempt to field a team, and it would be great if you could share
this email with other active 60 year old and older players, and cc me on
your emails to them so that I can continue to build a strong list of
contacts.

I’ve attached the application form and I encourage you to nominate
yourselves or others!

I do hope to hear from you and that we will indeed field a team in Canberra.

Best
Ishbel Dickens,
Committee member,
Alliance International Hockey Club

tel: 1.206.851.6385
e-mail: ishbel_dickens@hotmail.com
http://www.alliancehockey.net