Before jetting off to Trinidad and Tobago this week as members of Team Canada, Natalie Sourisseau and Abi Raye celebrated yet another Canadian Interuniversity Sport field hockey title.
The Kelowna products both played key roles in helping the UBC Thunderbirds to their second consecutive national women’s university championship.
The T’Birds defeated hometown University of Toronto 3-0 in the CIS final on Sunday afternoon.
“It feels pretty good,” Sourisseau said of the second straight gold-medal win. “It was definitely a challenge for us playing on the field turf, but the girls did a great job and played well all tournament.”
Sourisseau garnered accolades for her play at nationals and was named to the tournament all-star team.
It capped off a solid year all around for the 19-year-old midfielder and KSS grad who was also named a CIS all-Canadian last week for the first time in her three-year university career.
“There are so many talented girls on the UBC team, any one of them could have won those awards,” said Sourisseau.
For Raye, 21, it was her third CIS title with the T’Birds in four years.
Sourisseau and Raye left Wednesday for Port-of-Sapin, Trinidad and Tobago where Canada will play in the FIH World League Round 1.
Fellow KSS grad and national team member Dani Hennig won’t make the trip due to a broken thumb.
With the Canadian senior team, Raye has 74 caps, Hennig has 42 and Sourisseau, 29.
