Lynne Beecroft鈥檚 University of Victoria women鈥檚 field hockey program was imprinted on sa国际传媒鈥檚 bronze medal at this summer鈥檚 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto with Vikes grads Kaitlyn Williams, Thea Culley and Danielle Hennig on the Canadian team.
The next generation begins stating its case with pre-season games in the Boston area against Ivy League schools Brown on Saturday, Yale on Sunday and Harvard on Monday.
鈥淲e have a good core of returning players and will be strong this year,鈥� said Beecroft, from Boston.
Included in that category are Kathleen Leahy and Rosie Beale, who practised with the senior national team ahead of the Pan Am Games. sa国际传媒 failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and Leahy and Beale should be part of the equation as the national side now rebuilds for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic quadrennial.
Among UVic鈥檚 heralded newcomers are Alexis De Armond out of Mount Douglas Secondary, who is coming from an 11-day Canadian junior national team camp, Jocelynne Charlton out of Reynolds Secondary.
There is a connection to the latter recruit. Charlton鈥檚 aunt and former UVic star, Nancy Mollenhauer, played alongside Beecroft on the national team, including at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Beecroft is entering her 32nd season as UVic coach and what she said he likes about this weekend鈥檚 Ivy League series in Boston is that it allows her squad to play three games in three days.
鈥淚t will help prepare us for the format of the nationals, where we will play four games in four days,鈥� said Beecroft, going for her 12th CIS Canadian title as a coach when UVic hosts the national tournament Nov. 5-8.
鈥淲e want to simulate that as much as possible and this gives us a good chance to do that before our sa国际传媒 West games.鈥�
The conference schedule opens Sept. 19-20 at home against the UBC Thunderbirds.
