The Cowichan Thunderbirds weren’t quite sure how they would stack up against some of the other top field hockey teams in B.C. this season.
After a second-place finish at the prestigious Bridgman Cup tournament in Victoria over the Thanksgiving weekend, the picture is a little clearer.
“We really actually had no idea,” said coach Caitlin Erickson, whose team lost several key players after winning back-to-back provincial titles in 2015 and 2016. “We hadn’t seen some of the more competitive teams before. Going in, we thought top-eight would be a good place to start.”
Not only does the Bridgman boast a calibre of competition that, among high school tournaments in B.C., is arguably second only to provincials, teams are also required to play a gruelling schedule of six games over three days.
“That’s always tough to do,” Erickson acknowledged. “It’s a lot of field hockey.”
The T-Birds swept their way through pool play, beating Little Flower Academy 5-0, Gleneagle 4-0 and St. Michaels University School 4-1 to earn top spot. They downed Collingwood 2-0 in the first round of the championship playoffs, and got by Kelowna 2-1 in the second round to reach the final.
The two teams who had shared the previous six Bridgman Cup titles squared off in the final as Cowichan (2013 and 2015) took the field against Handsworth (2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016). When the dust settled, Handsworth prevailed 4-0.
“I wouldn’t say the score reflected how we played,” Erickson said.
Handsworth, Erickson related, came on strong in the first half and converted on all their scoring chances. Cowichan matched them in many ways, just not on the scoreboard.
“I thought we had a better second half,” Erickson noted. “The girls got back to the standard they were playing at all weekend.”
Cowichan co-captain and senior midfielder Jenna Berard led the way throughout the tournament, helping to create a lot of the team’s offence, especially on short corners.
“She had a fantastic weekend,” Erickson said. “She had a lot of composure and control.”
Chloe Langkammer, a Grade 10 forward in her second year with the senior girls team, also stepped up at the Bridgman. Erickson called her, “fast, fearless and fierce.”
“She puts a lot of pressure on the other team’s defence. She gets the ball and makes things happen.”
Erickson was also pleased with the play of Melanie Robertson and Jenna Goodman on the defensive line.
Shawnigan Lake School finished 11th at the Bridgman. They edged out South Delta for third in their pool, then lost to Mount Douglas in the first round of consolation play before beating SMUS in the 11th-place match.
The Frances Kelsey Breakers placed fourth in their pool, then lost to Charles Best before beating Gleneagle 2-0 to finish 15th in the 16-team pool.
Kelsey coach Alyssa Davidson cautioned her players before their last game that if they finished last, they wouldn’t be guaranteed a berth next year, and would be on a wait list for future Bridgman Cups. Ashlyn Toljander scored both goals for the Breakers against Gleneagle.
“We had some losses, but we ended on a good note,” Davidson said. “The girls were happy.”
This has been a rebuilding season for a young Breakers team, which includes two Grade 8 players on the starting defensive line.
“We have a couple of girls who are good leaders,” Davidson said. “That helps the young ones feel confident and grow. We’ve improved a lot from the beginning of the season. It’s a fun group of kids, too. That always makes it nice.”
Both Cowichan and Kelsey will be hunting for a berth at provincials when they compete at the Island tournament at the Cowichan Sportsplex over the first weekend of November.
Kevin
