Field Hockey Canada’s Women’s National Program has named its Senior Women’s National Team and Senior and Junior Development Squads for the 2017 competition year.
Fifty-one athletes have been named to three squads, with the Junior Development Squad split into two tiers.
The Women’s National Team, which consists of the athletes most equipped to represent Canada at the Senior international level, consists of 9 returning players from the 2016 roster. Leading the way in experience is Kingston, Ontario’s Kate Wright, who is the active leaders in games played with 159, and sits only 9 games behind all-time leader Stephanie Jameson who played 168 games in her career.
Also on the Senior National Team is Hannah Haughn, who last year became the youngest Canadian women to reach 100 caps. She is coming off a five-year career with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, during which she won five consecutive National Championships.
New additions to the National Team roster include Vancouver’s Shanlee Johnston and North Vancouver, British Columbia’s Holly Stewart. Combined, Johnston and Stewart have played a total of 104 senior international matches.
The Senior Development Squad also features a roster chock full of senior international experience, with Waterloo, Ontario’s Amanda Woodcroft, Kathleen Leahy, and Alex Thicke having played 54, 37, and 27 senior matches respectively.
Rachel Donohoe returns to the National Program with her selection to the Senior Development Squad after sharing honours for the USports Field Hockey Player of the Year with Olivia Lane in 2016.
Additions to the Senior Development Squad include a group of young players making the jump from the Junior level. Alexis DeArmond, Nikki Woodcroft, Rowan Harris, and Shannon Pereira make the step up.
The Tier 1 Junior Development Squad features five players – Hannah Eborall, Jordyn Faiczak, Margaret Pham, Sam McCrory, and Thora Rae – who will be on the upcoming Senior training tour to Australia’s Gold Coast.
2017 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
2017 WOMEN’S SENIOR DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
2017 WOMEN’S JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT SQUAD – TIER 1
2017 WOMEN’S JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT SQUAD – TIER 2
Post Courtesy, Field Hockey Canada. View original article here.