Announcement

Secco named to Pan Am Roster

Posted by Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association on Jun 25 2015 at 01:54PM PDT in 2017-2018
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The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Field Hockey Canada have announced the sixteen women who have been selected to represent Canada at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games from July 10 to 26 in Toronto, Ontario.

Oak Bay High graduate and former Lynx 1 midfielder Maddie Secco is the lone islander to represent Canada at the upcoming home games. With 60 caps to her name the current Stanford University student-athlete will join her team mates in their last shot at Olympic qualification. Secco will also join former Vikes players Thea Culley, Danielle Hennig and Kaitlyn Williams.

Culley is the highest capped active player (136), while Hennig will celebrate her 100th cap during the games as she is currently at 97. Former Canada West goalkeeper of the year Williams boasts 60 international caps and will back the team in net.

The Pan American Games field hockey competition, which will be held at the new Pan Am Fields at the University of Toronto, serves as an official 2016 Olympic Games qualifying tournament, with both the men’s and women’s winner earning a spot at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next summer.

“We’ve played a number of the top teams in the world of the last two years, now it’s the last opportunity we have to qualify for the 2016 Olympics,” says Women’s National Team Head Coach Ian Rutledge. “The team we’ve picked represents the best sixteen players in the country at this time for us achieve that goal.”

The Canadian roster is led by captain Kate Gillis, who is from Kingston, Ontario, and vice-captains Thea Culley (Rossland, BC) and Danielle Hennig (Kelowna, BC). Culley is the Canadian women’s active cap leader with 136 senior matches to her name.

“To play for Canada on home soil is something I have been looking forward to ever since Toronto was named as host for the 2015 Pan American Games,” says Gillis, who is from Kingston, Ontario, and is one of three Eastern Canadian athletes named to the team. “Wearing the maple leaf on your chest and representing your country is an indescribable feeling of pride.”

“To be able to share that with our family and friends of a home crowd dawning the red and white, with an opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, will be an unforgettable experience.”

The Women’s National, currently twentieth in the field hockey world ranking, enters the tournament as the third ranked team, behind Argentina (World No.3) and the United States (World No.5). The Canadian women begin competition on July 13th against the Dominican Republic. .

The Canadian women last medaled in 1999 in Winnipeg, the last time a Pan American Games was held in Canada.

Canada will field the largest team in its Pan American Games history with more than 700 athletes expected to be named to the Team at the Games in Toronto. With TORONTO 2015 providing a “home Games” experience, as well as a number of qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, these Games will offer a tremendous experience for Canada’s high performance athletes.

ROSTER – WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – 2015 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

*ROSTER – WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – 2015 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

Name Position Hometown Senior Caps*

Abigail Raye Defender Kelowna, BC 133
Alex Thicke Midfielder Vancouver, BC 16
Amanda Woodcroft Midfielder Waterloo, ON 29
Brienne Stairs Forward Kitchener, ON 78
Danielle Hennig* Defender Kelowna, BC 97
Hannah Haughn Forward North Vancouver, BC 92
Holly Stewart Forward North Vancouver, BC 29
Kaitlyn Williams Goalkeeper White Rock, BC 64
Karli Johansen Defender North Vancouver, BC 46
Kate Gillis** Midfielder Kingston, ON 133
Maddie Secco Midfielder Victoria, BC 60
Natalie Sourisseau Midfielder Kelowna, BC 76
Sara McManus Defender Tsawwassen, BC 86
Shanlee Johnston Defender Vancouver, BC 29
Stephanie Norlander Forward North Vancouver, BC 26
Thea Culley* Forward Rossland, BC 136
Vice-Captain
*
Captain

STAFF – WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – 2015 PAN AMERICAN GAMES
Head Coach – Ian Rutledge (Orange, WSA, Australia)
Assistant Coach – Stephanie Andrews (Perth, WA, Australia)
Team Manager – Carrie Trumpy (Victoria, BC)
Video Analyst – Stefanie Sloboda (Winnipeg, MB)
Physiotherapist – Elliot Usher (Vancouver, BC)
Athletic Therapist – Michelle Meckling (Kelowna, BC)
Team Doctor – Dr. Navin Prasad (Vancouver, BC)

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