Field Hockey Canada
WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM
2000 Junior Women's World Cup Qualifier
Bridgetown, Barbados - April 13-23
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Their strongest memories
of the competition |
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Julia: Azelia jumping into my arms after her BIG save - running into
the arms of my parents after winning the bronze medal.
Meggs: my stroke - Eating breakfast as the waves crashed into the porch.
Josette: Meggan’s stroke - Seeing Canada in Black/Black/Black
Azelia: playing for Canada - seeing the ball tip off my glove to go
wide to win bronze - action potential
Mo: the realization of how hard we’re all going to have to work in
order for us to be a truly competitive team at the international level - Making
a point of memorizing all the cheesy jingles on our one and only Bajan TV channel.
Liz: managing to cope without water for one and a half days and without
power on two different occasions — these things never happen in Barbados.
Jacquie: when you wake up in the morning and you just realize...
- making a whole bunch of new and good friends.
Sharon: watching the Chile goalkeeper take off her equipment to take
the final stroke in the bronze medal match — that missed stroke clinched the victory.
Erin: jumping off the bench and over the fence to bombard the field
after we won the bronze medal - looking over into the stands and seeing my mom
and dad cheering us on.
Lucy: dancing up a storm with all the Argies and partying with all
the teams when it was all over.
Andrea Dwyer: waiting “patiently” to see if our bus would be
on time to take us to our game. Bajan time was never the same as Canadian time!!
Also, the friends we made at the field, our hotel, taxi drivers and bus driver.
Ashley: having the opportunity to play for Canada with such an amazing
group of people and winning the bronze was my most memorable experience - Tuning
into Nuff Cash on TV - Going to Church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Lauren: getting to play one game before getting a blood test to find
out I had mono - travelling and being apart of the Canadian team and coming home
with the bronze!
Tia: the penalty stroke off vs. Chile (and the bronze) - the post-competition
celebration with the other teams.
Kate: running on to the field after Azelia saved Chile’s final stroke to win Bronze
- Playing against the Argies, then partying with them afterwards.
Robin: the whole experience of international hockey and the bronze
was great but I also loved all the advantages of playing in Barbados: de island,
de sea, de sun!!
Emily: after losing to the Argies, realizing that no matter how hard
we’ve worked, there is so much more we can and should do.
Katie: putting the goalie jersey on for the first time with Canada
on the back - The amazing saves that Azelia made in the penalty strokes.
Andy: playing against Argentina was my most memorable experience in
Barbados. It was great to play against such an amazing team and very challenging.
Steph: I will always remember my excitement when I scored my stroke
against Chile and the elation we all felt when Azelia stopped their fifth stroke
and we won the bronze.
Trevor: de Stroke - de Save!
Carly: stepping onto the pitch with CANADA on my back was the most
wonderful feeling - Having the chance to play the Argies was also a great experience
- Most of all, having my teeth knocked out by a stick and the trip to the dentist
with Trev and Liz.
Ali: first of all, the hockey experience surpasses all other memories
- When the team went out on the town after a tough loss to the US, dressed to
our bests - The night of the social with other teams when I was tossed into the
middle of all the teams while the Argentineans, Americans, Bajans, Bermudans, and
Trinis all chanted my name to start dancing.
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Today we go home, with hardware! It was fun while it lasted but now we
must get back to the routine of school, jobs and enjoying our summer!! We will
all miss the sun and the great beach here, so we’re all hoping that it won’t
be too much of a climate shock when we return today.
We would like to thank everyone who followed along with our journey and
remained faithful throughout our fight. Thank you,
we couldn’t have done it without you. We would also like to say thank you
to our family’s who helped make our dreams a reality, as we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.
P.S. I would also like to say thank you very much to Yan Huckendubler who
has remained committed to keeping the web updated throughout our three weeks
here.
Today is the BIG day. It is the day that will determine our possible birth into
the World Cup. It is a day that will end some of the girls’ time on the junior
team and a day that may be just the beginning for others.
We did our usual routine of lounging around and eating before we headed over
to the turf for our game vs. Chile at 4pm. It started off well but we did not
seem to be able to generate enough around the net. So, after regulation time,
it was still 0-0 and after two seven and a half minute sudden death periods,
it remained scoreless.
So the Bronze Medal was going to be determined in a stroke off. Our shooters,
Julia, Meggs, Steph, Ali and Andy, with Azelia in net, were all ready to end this
right there and then. It finally came down to watching the Chile goalie undress
to take the last stroke. She had to score to tie it up and Azelia had to save
it to end it in our favour.
The tension was building and we knew that this could be the end to a long
three weeks of hard work. Then, BOOM, Azelia rocked the girl, saved the
ball and we were the Bronze Medalists. The
bench bombarded the field and we celebrated with our Canada flags. What a thrill!!
The night ended with Argentina beating USA in the Gold Medal game 5-0 and
then a closing ceremony. Next was time to go out and enjoy our last night out
on the town. Canada met up with USA, the Argies and Trinidad and we celebrated in style.
The action plan for today was to practice, rest, do homework and mentally prepare
for tomorrow’s game against Chile. There was practice from 9-10am where we focused
mainly on formation drills while the goalies went for the workout of their life.
In the afternoon, a few of us gathered together by the shaded area near the
pool and worked on homework for what seemed like an eternity... We were scheduled
to watch a 35 minute clip from the USA vs. Chile game at 6:30pm in the coaches' room.
We took note of their formation and style of pressure systems and then devised
counter attacks.
The rest of the night was very relaxing yet nerve racking for some. We are
all pumped up for the game tomorrow but are sad that this will be our last game
of the tournament. Wish us luck!
Friday April 21:
by Emily Rix |
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Another day in paradise,
Our time here’s almost done;
We’ve so far played four games,
There’s one left to be won.
Today was uneventful,
The tournament rest day;
But the Canadians took to the field,
And practiced anyway.
In preparation for Sunday,
We did a lot of one-on-one,
And the stroke-off competition,
At the end was really fun.
Following our workout,
We spent time in the pool;
The locals are very friendly,
And they think we’re pretty cool.
The rest of the day was passed,
Relaxing and finding food;
And rumor has it some of the umps,
Were seen bathing in the #@$!
The food here has been decent,
Lots of spice and flying fish;
But most of us opt to stay in,
For yet another pasta dish.
Following our semi loss,
We’re psyched to play Chile;
And though none of us has been there,
We hear it’s rather hilly.
I’m obviously not a poet,
But that’s beside the point:
Rest assured we won’t return,
With less than bronze from this joint.
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This was the day of our big game. For most, this game was the beginning
of a whole new outlook on international hockey. We all woke up in the morning
with visions of what and how we were going to perform on the pitch today. The
game felt so far away and we needed to pass the time. This consisted of books,
pool, shopping, walking, wave battling and of course eating.
When it came time to leave for the field we were all getting excited. We were
on our way to play one of the top teams in the world. This was a great opportunity
and we were all honored to compete with such an elite team. Our pre game pump up
consisted of our usual mini dance party or listening to walkmans to psyche ourselves
up. Whichever the process, when we stepped on to that field the energy was felt
around.
We all could feel the intensity, we could feel the pride and we were ready
to give it all.
The whistle blew and Canada was on their way. We contained the Argentineans
from entering our circle as we entered theirs. We had them on their heels for
most of the first half. Unfortunately, they came up with some goals and then
they found their momentum. All the Canadians on that field played with heart
and with all their effort. At the end of the game, hands were shaken and there
were applause all around by each team.
This game has prepared us for our bronze medal match against Chile.
Our heads are high and we have every intention
of taking it to Chile the very second the whistle blows.
Wednesday April 19:
by Meggan Hunt
Although waking up at 6:20am was not my first choice, it felt great to know it
was already warm and sunny as the waves crashed into our beach. We played the
Barbados team at 9am while the fans sang and played large steel drums!
The start of the game was slightly less than stellar but the game improved
steadily. We had numerous chances and Carly finally prevented heart attacks on
the side lines by slipping one over the goal line. A few minutes later, Ali took
a great chip shot and somehow Carly touched it in as she was ducking for dear
life! In any case, we came out with a win and secured our spot in the top four.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. While we continued the usual afternoon
activities: studying, napping, writing, e-mailing, doing laundry, eating and
reading. We also psyched ourselves up to give 100% in tomorrow’s fight against
Argentina! My own afternoon was consumed trying to figure out how to best even
out my tan, thank the Bajans for fixing the water and power and convince my
teammates to play Euchre.
While my friends at home are studying while surfing at Long Beach, I’m thankful
that I have the opportunity to represent my country with all my friends. I
cannot imagine a better way to spend my 21st birthday — my only birthday
wish is for GOLD at the end of the rainbow.
Is it me, or did today come way too fast? The day off yesterday was incredible
but it was back to reality today when the alarm clock went off at 7:30am (sniff...).
We practiced from 9-10 this morning, in both the rain and the sun, in preparation
for our match vs. Barbados. Next, the long awaited trip to the grocery store
to stock up. Food... what’s that?!
Also, the no water situation was slowly progressing enabling us to finally
shower. It was getting a little out of hand. The rest of the afternoon was filled
with many people studying, reading and swimming out in the beautiful clear blue
sun filled sky. Steph apparently got too much as she now resembles a lobster
(at least her stomach saw the light. Her tummy was dangerously blinding to the
human eye.)
Now, I’m not sure if it’s the sun, the water or just us crazy Canadian girls
but we decided to show the town our wild side. Yes, we dressed quite stylish
sporting various articles of clothing. I was wearing the Canadian flag. Other
outfits included swim goggles with bright socks pulled up, creative hair styles,
tensors and jammin’ make-up. Man we looked good! Off to dinner we went and,
surprisingly enough, they let us in. We enjoyed some dins’ at The Ship Inn then
packed ‘er in early for our match at 9am tomorrow.
Everybody is pumped to play the Bajans on their own turf. Wish us luck.
Until next time, keep fit and have fun 
!
P.S. I want to say hello to my Kyle!
Today was our day off! YAH! After yesterday’s disappointments (the loss to the
U.S.A. and coming home to no electricity...) everyone really needed a fun day
to rekindle our spirits. And from all reports, everyone had a great day! It was
really exciting to get out and see the rest of the island after being here for
10 days and only seeing our hotel, the beach and the turf.
Since I’m not sure exactly what everyone else did I’ll tell you what I did
today. After hitting up Bridgetown for a little shopping (and experiencing “Tim’s
Diner” where a melted cheese sandwich apparently does not include cheese),
we hopped on a bus with all of the locals and took a trip to Holetown. At the
beach we were presented with a deal we couldn’t resist and spent the rest of
the afternoon tubing, jetskiing and snorkelling with giant turtles.
It was a great day and our only complaint is that tonight we have no running
water: because of the power outage the previous night (which apparently was
caused by the power plant catching on fire) there is a water shortage on the
island and no one seems to know how long it will last. They say bad luck comes
in three’s, which begs the question: which utility will we be missing tomorrow night?
P.S. we still have no groceries (which worked out well when the power was
off) and Carly’s black eye has progressed to a lovely shade of crimson which
makes her look like she is possessed by the devil. Nonetheless, we remain in
good spirits with everyone having a great tan (except me), ready to kick some
Barbadian butt.
Go Canada Go!!
Today was a huge day for us Canadians. We faced the Yankees in a battle for our
life and unfortunately ended up empty handed. We may have lost the battle 5-2
but we haven’t lost the war. We’re down but we’re not out, and you can bet your
lucky stars that Argentina isn’t going to be happy that we lost that battle,
because we are most certainly going to take it to them.
This was a hard loss for us this afternoon and we can only learn from it.
This was not our only experience of the day. As we watched the game following
ours, there was a sudden loss of power within a 45km radius, which covers the
entire island. The turf was in complete darkness along with the surrounding towns.
As we made our way back to our hotel it was evident that drivers prefer to pick
up the pace on the road in utter darkness.
We arrived to the hotel to find it without power too. We were all given one
candle to light our rooms. This candle was great for light but how were we going
to eat dinner? The town had shut itself down and our bodies felt the same way.
After schmoozing the waiter for about an hour in the only restaurant around with
a generator, we finally got some food and were able to eat at 10pm.
Tomorrow is our day off and we plan to take it to its full advantage. Not
only do we hope to explore the country but also take this time to relax, recuperate
and start to focus on what is to come and put behind us what has already been
done.
We plan on fighting so don’t give up on us yet, we are going to keep
going.
Have faith in us and we’ll have faith in ourselves to make it to the World Cup.
Today was yet another new day with many new surprises. It was a very low-key
day for Team Canada. With a light practice in the morning followed by our regular
cool down in the pool in order to get ready for the Americans tomorrow.
Marina and Kathy arrived in Barbados yesterday and they graced us with their
presence at practice, which was especially nice for us Ontario girls.
The most exciting part of the day was when we came upon an evil lime that
apparently threatened the life of Josette and all those who touched it. Really,
people were overreacting and thought that this green oversized lime caused blistering
of the skin but some of us are still convinced that it is just an unripened grapefruit.
These are the perks of living in Barbados with 17 other girls.
Much of the day was spent mentally preparing for our big game that we play
tomorrow. There are feelings of excitement and of course nervousness as this
is the game that will determine where we will go next.
Thank you to all those who continue to support
us and we will play ourhearts out for Canada.
We
WILL stand proud with red and white on our backs. |
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Today we practiced from 12 till 2pm. While warming up we enjoyed a light sprinkle
of rain - a sprinkle which then turned into a shower - a shower to a down pour -
and a downpour to a horizontal torrential down pour. 10 soaking minutes later
- SUNSHINE and WET TURF and we were ready to go!
We are all focusing in now for our game against the USA on Sunday. Today’s
lesson: offense lets you compete, but defense wins you games. And consequently
we are preparing for the mental and physical battles that lay ahead.
In the evening we went to watch the USA play Barbados. These are the 2 teams
in our pool we still have yet to play and we watched each team critically.
It was quite an experience being a spectator to this game with many Barbados
fans supporting their local junior team. Across from us in the tarp covered stands
(where we were desperately trying to stay dry) on the grassy knoll were the Barbados
fans all in yellow and blue with drums and trumpets, dancing and cheering on
the host team. It was neat to see this many enthusiastic fans supporting field hockey.
After an eventful day we are eagerly awaiting Sunday’s match against the Americans!
Today was the big day that most of the girls have been training and preparing
for for nearly three years. After a quiet morning and an Opening Ceremonies
experience that wasn’t quite as exciting as we had anticipated (although I have
to admit that we all loved the little Bajan dancers), we played our first game
of the Junior Pan American Championships. It was a fine evening to play some
hockey - not too hot and we faced off against the Venezuelans at 8pm.
There were more fans than bats out for the game. We love the Canadian parents.
After the game began, it was pretty obvious that all of the action was taking
place within the Venezuelan half. We were all about attack. Although it took
us a while, Meggs opened up the scoring off a penalty corner. Lauren added another
soon after and then Andy put away a beauty of a stroke. Ashley “The Sniper”
Reaburn put in a nice one right before the half ended to make it 4-0 for us.
Not even 30 seconds into the second half, Carly “The Chopper” Roche
buried one in the back of the Venezuelan net after a lovely team passing play.
Within the half, we managed to pop in an additional four goals. Speedy little
Robin busted up the baseline and assisted quite a few of the goals. She also
scored one.
We finished our first official international game with a score of 9-0!
Overall, I think that we demonstrated the meaning of "teamwork" in
our play. We’ll carry our momentum with us into our next big match against the
Americans on the 16th.
Fan mail |
We in Canada envy the weather in Barbados and we are cheering
the Junior Women's National Field Hockey Team on!!! Great first game! Nice shut
out Azelia! What else would you expect from the world's number 1 goalie? Well,
this is her sister Abbie from Toronto and my family sends their love and
support! Canada is #1 !!! |
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Wednesday April 12:
by Lucy Shaw
Well folks, I get the opportunity to fill you in on the excitement that has
built up around this place. If you are following, you’ll know that tomorrow
is our first game. (If you’re not, get on it!) Three years of hard work
will begin to pay off tomorrow at 8pm as we face off with the Venezuelans.
Our goal is to do none other than some serious butt kicking. Today was spent
preparing for tomorrow. We began with a light practice this morning at 10am and
were delighted to feel a little rain on our faces (if you ask me, it was a pitiful
attempt at rain, but I’m obviously speaking as a West coaster!). Anyhow, the
rest of the day was spent resting and focusing on the task at hand.
In the evening, we went to an opening ceremonies banquet and it gave us a
chance to size up our oppponents. I’ve concluded that we are the strongest personally
looking team in the lot. Now all we have to do is prove it.
We feel good, we look good and now we are ready to do good! Hope things at
home are well.
Cheers from the Chiquitas!
Well... where should I start? It has been a very busy day today with lots of
time spent training at the turf. We left our hotel at 9:15am and arrived at the
turf to do an interval workout. The workout was led by our team physiologist
Johnathon Fowles. We began with a short sprint workout followed by an interval
workout consisting of 200m x 10 sets. Next we had practice and then it was out
of the sun and back to our shaded rooms.
Then it was back to the turf at 4:15pm to play against a Bajan club team.
We were a little slow to start but soon picked up the pace. The score ended up
as 3-1 in our favour with goals scored by Kate.
Have you ever seen a bat? All I have to say is, if you have a fear of bats
(Meggs) then don’t stay out at night in Barbados. You don’t stand a chance with
them swooping around like crazy over the turf. Then there were the moths, or
what ever they were. All I know is that I got one in my eye when I was trying
to receive a ball. Let’s just say that it wasn’t pretty! Then there was the deadly
follow through that came from a Bajan girl, which happened to land smack dab
on Carly’s mouth. It wasn’t until after the game that we realized that she still
had her mouthgaurd in her mouth, because her tooth was chipped. She is still
at the dentist right now, so let’s hope she doesn’t swollow the part of her tooth
that is chipped when she finally takes out her mouthguard.
Thank gosh we have a great support staff with Dr. Trevor Hall and physio
Liz Czenczek. Then there is Andrea Dwyer, our team manager. Talk
about an organized team! If we didn’t have her I think that we would be working
on Bajan time... which is ALWAYS late!
I also want to say Happy Birthday to Josette for today!! Thanks for following
along and I just want to say hi to everyone back home and those that can’t be
here with us on this journey. I miss you all!!
Today was another sunny day in Barbados. We had a meeting at 10am which was a
little inconvienent for Lucy. Then we set out to explore the island. Emily came
back Bajan, some people came back with island skirts and Andy came back with
a fabulous Gem of the Carribean shirt. Other unfortunate girls spent a couple
of hours writing exams...
Today was also Jacquie's 20th birthday and she celebrated it in style!
Later in the day, we had practice for an hour. Then we played against a club
team from Barbados. Today's game was quicker than last night's and the score
ended up 5-1 in our favour. We are now patiently waiting to start the tournament!
Cheers from Barbados!
Let the Games begin!
Today we had our first scrimmage match against a Bajan woman's club team.
The game began at 5:30pm, which is a great time to play as the sun is nearly
down. Us BC girls finally got our sticks last night which made things run a little
more smoothly. I'm not really sure what type of team we played today but the
final score was 9-0 in our favour. It was a lot of fun and felt pretty good for
our first game together in a couple of months. Everyone got in and goals were
scored by Carly (3), Kate (3), Lucy, Andy, Robin, Tia and Meggs.
Playing in the evenings means killing time the rest of the day which isn't
hard to do in Barbados. There's a pretty wicked beach just down from our hotel
where you can find Bajan tunes, big waves and lots of sun. Not that we are really
"allowed" to be in the sun. It's amazing here and I'm not really sure
if I'm going to want to leave come the 24th of April.
Anyway, thanks for following us and take care!
P.S. Lesson of the day: No diving on turf with burnt shoulders!
Today was the first true Barbados experience. After breakfast next to the beach,
we went for another fast bus ride to the turf for practice. Coming from the land
of snow, it was a shock to the system playing in 28 degrees, which is considered
normal for the bajans.
It began as an interesting practice with not everyone having sticks. After
sharing all the extra sticks, all that remained was one person left without a
stick. Now the question was: Do you play with Sharon's 1980's Gryphon stick,
the only stick that remains... or do you wait in line and rotate with everyone
else? Well, after Jacquie spent about 10 minutes attempting to understand
the concept of the unusual looking stick, she gave up and the rest of the practice
was spent watching Erin, Julia, Emily and Jacquie rotating their sticks.
From the goalies point of view, you knew it was hot when you were bathing
in your own sweat... not to mention that you could see the heat rising off the
turf.
Practice was followed by a short trip to the grocery store where some stocked
up a little more than others. Then it was on to the beach where some took a swim
and other spent some time walking around the town. At about 3:30pm the Air Canada
flight finally touched down with 8 sticks in cargo! Next was the team meeting to
discuss the next two weeks and then onto our special gourmet meals. Finally,
we ended the evening in our rooms relaxing and enjoying the luxury of air conditioning.
The journey to success has begun! It began a little earlier for some, as the
western girls came in on the red eye and spent the majority of the day travelling.
By 10am we were officially together as Team Canada
ready for our big adventure.
After the conclusion of our flight, we arrived to a land of sun and endless
beaches. The current temperature is 27 degrees and so far we are not complaining.
The adventure has really begun, with the western girls having no field hockey sticks
on this flight... The problem is, only one flight comes in a day, so let's hope
that the sticks are en route tomorrow.
It is warm, beautiful and exciting! The real adventure began with our bus
ride to the hotel. Not only do they drive on the other side of the road, but
speed limits and pedestrians do not seem to mean anything to them. However, we
did manage to get to the hotel safely. Within the hour of our team meeting, most
of us headed straight for the water for our first dip, followed by dinner which
lead us to our comfy beds after a long day of traveling.
Signing off from the first day, so far, so good. Or should we say,
so far so GREAT!
For information or comments: fhc@fieldhockey.ca
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