It may seem a long way off.
But after the Canadian women鈥檚 field hockey team failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the planning started for the 2020 Tokyo quadrennial.
It begins with a four-game set against the Rio-bound United States national team in San Diego from Feb. 8-12.
Four Island players were named to the Canadian roster, which was announced Wednesday. Alexis de Armond of Victoria will be making her senior-national team debut, alongside Nikki Woodcroft of Waterloo, Ont., and Rowan Harris of Ottawa.
Joining rising Mount Douglas graduate de Armond for the tour are fellow Victoria players Kathleen Leahy, Rosie Beale and Maddie Secco. Also named to the team are University of Victoria Vikes alumnae Thea Culley, the current Canadian caps leader, Danielle Hennig and goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams.
All 16 players who won the bronze medal last summer at the Pan Am Games in Toronto were again named to the Canadian team. That includes Pac-12 Stanford NCAA standout and Oak Bay-grad Secco, along with the UVic grads Hennig, Culley and Williams.
The U.S. blanked host sa国际传媒 3-0 in the 2015 Pan Am Games semifinals en route to the gold medal to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Veteran Katie Gillis will again captain the Ian Rutledge-coached Canadian side.
