Oak Bay’s Maddie Secco has been named to the 2015 Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey team.
The Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey Program confirmed its 2015 women’s national team and senior development squad rosters last week, with Victoria’s Kathleen Leahy named to the senior development squad.
The national team consists of 13 athletes who are considered ready for international competition, with the number expected to rise as players from the development squad and the soon-to-be-named junior development squad become competition-ready.
Fifteen athletes have been named to the senior development squad, which is reserved for players who are considered close to breaking through to the national team and are continually making progress towards senior international competition.
The national team is led by 25-year-old Kate Gillis (Kingston, Ont.), who returns as team captain. Veteran forward Thea Culley (Rossland, B.C.) leads the team international games played with 118. At 20, Secco and Hannah Haughn (North Vancouver) are the youngest on the roster.
The women are entering a year of competition during which qualification for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio, Brazil is up for grabs through two qualification pathways. The first being the World League tournament, the second being the Pan American Games, which Canada hosts in Toronto in the summer of 2015.
In preparation for these two tournaments, the women’s national team will take part in many test tournaments throughout the year, for which – as will be done for World League and the Pan Am Games – specific touring rosters will be named.
