Lions stand between Vikes and national field hockey title
There is a feel of coming full circle for University of Victoria Vikes field hockey head coach Lynne Beecroft as she guides her charges into the best-of-three U Sports national final against the Ontario-champion York Lions. The Canada West-champion UVic team will be after its 12th national title, but first since 2008.
The opening game is today, second game Saturday and third game, if necessary, Sunday. The Vikes are led by sophomore defender and Canada West and U Sports player-of-the-year Anna Mollenhauer. The SMUS-graduate, and daughter of former UVic star and twotime Olympian Nancy Mollenhauer, is striking her own path as a member of the Canadian junior national team.
“I played on the national team with Nancy [Mollenhauer] and it was Nancy who recommended me to be assistant coach at UVic,” said Beecroft.
“When Sandy Drever retired, [then athletic director] Ken Shields offered me the job of head coach.”
That was 35 years and 11 national championships ago.
Now it’s another Mollenhauer who roams the UVic pitch with just as big an upside as her mother had in going to the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics.
“We don’t want to put too much expectation on Anna’s shoulders this weekend, especially being in only her second year,” said Beecroft.
“It’s important she feel part of the process as a key factor, not the key factor.”
Beecroft brought her last Vikes national championship team together for a 10-year reunion during UVic’s final home game this season. There was a message she wanted the 2008 players to impart to her current group: “The 2008 players know it’s not about winning a championship, it’s about the joy of playing and still being friends, and knowing you will walk with each other forever.”
U SPORTS RUGBY: All-rounder Sophie De Goede of Victoria, who does it all outdoors and indoors at Queen’s, was named 2018 U Sports women’s rugby player of the year, ahead of the national championship tournament in Wolfville, N.S.
But the presence of the Oak Bay High graduate, who also stars for the Golden Gaels basketball team while studying commerce, wasn’t enough as Francis Xavier defeated Queen’s 42-21 on Thursday in the U Sports quarter-finals.
The UVic Vikes opened against the Guelph Gryphons and were defeated 35-10 in the quarter-finals. The Vikes were led by Canadian national team player Paige Farries, leading scorer Maddy Aberg and Canada West all-star Gurp Dhaliwal and were conference runners-up behind the Calgary Dinos. The Vikes have now been relegated to the consolation round. So, surprisingly, have the Dinos, who were upset 28-22 in the quarters by Laval Rouge et Or.
The defending champs and topranked Ottawa Gee Gees knocked off Acadia 26-24 in the other quarter-final. The semifinals are today and the final is scheduled for Sunday.
CANADA WEST SOCCER: Reynolds graduate Matteo Ventura of the UVic Vikes, who burst upon the Canada West scene this season with 10 goals, has been named to the conference all-rookie men’s team . . . Fifth-year defender Katie Carrothers, also out of Reynolds, will graduate from the Vikes women’s program as a Canada West second-team all-star.