The pride of representing both their home province and home region will be felt by 11 Cowichan Valley field hockey players who have made Team BC this summer.
"There’s a lot of pride," said Sara Lowes, who is preparing for her fourth year with the Team BC program. "You get to represent where you come from: the association [Cowichan Field Hockey] and all the people who helped out along the way."
Lowes has been with Cowichan Field Hockey for eight years, and has also played for Cowichan Secondary’s field hockey team.
"The Valley is so strong in field hockey," she said. "We want to show Vancouver and the places with all the money that this is what we can do in the Valley."
Lowes will be joined by Casey Crowley, Robin Fleming and Sara Goodman on the U18 BC Blue A team, while Emma Dame and Brittany Smith are on the U18 BC White B team. Jenna Berard and Jillian Wallace will play on the U15 BC Blue A team, and Shon Lumb, Hanna Murray and Angela Ramwell are on the U15 BC White B team.
The teams will compete at the India Club Tournament in Vancouver on June 19-21, where the U18s will play in the U21 division and the U15s will play in the U17 division. The U15s will attend the U16 national championships in Brampton, Ontario on June 25-Aug. 1, and the U18s will play in the U18 nationals in Vancouver on Aug. 5-9.
Lowes has previously won a national title with the U15 BC Blue team, and placed fourth in her last appearance with the U18 team. She has also been invited to the junior national camp, and has accepted an offer to play with UBC next fall. With the goal of going to medical school, the national program might not be in the picture.
"I think I will just concentrate on bringing what I can for UBC," she said.
