U Sports – TORONTO (U Sports) – The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds head into this week’s CIS – Field Hockey Canada women’s field hockey championship looking to extend an unprecedented run with their sixth straight McCrae Cup title and 17th in program history.

The four-team tournament, hosted by the University of Toronto for the third time in five years and for the 10th time overall, kicks off on Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold-medal final at 3 p.m.

Competing for this season’s McCrae Cup will be the same four teams from a year ago: the top-seeded Thunderbirds (Canada West champions), No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA champions/host), No. 3 Victoria Vikes (Canada West runners-up) and No. 4 Guelph Gryphons (OUA silver medallists).

Last year, Victoria captured silver, while Guelph earned bronze, with Toronto finishing in fourth place.
All contenders will play each other once in the preliminary round this week, with the top two finishers advancing to the final and the bottom two teams battling for bronze. Thursday’s opening day will see Victoria take on Guelph at 4 p.m. and UBC face Toronto at 6:30 p.m.
 

Victoria and Toronto boast 11 McCrae Cup titles apiece, while Guelph’s best finish at the CIS tournament is a silver medal in 2007.  

The five-time defending champion Thunderbirds, which won the last two tournaments at Toronto in 2012 and 2014, went undefeated against Victoria this season with a 2-0-2 record, recording back to back 1-0 and 2-1 victories to go along with a pair of 1-1 draws.

Haughn, the MVP of the 2012 CIS-FHC championship, is the only member of the senior national squad at this week’s tourney, having accumulated no less than 118 caps with the Canadian team over her career.

“We are very excited for the tournament, said Thunderbirds head coach Robin D’Abreo. “We know we will be facing the four best teams in the nation and the majority of the best players in the country. We go in feeling very competitive but are very aware in tournament hockey that anything can happen.”

Victoria, which last won the title in 2008, counters with Canada West rookie of the year Emily Wong (midfielder), and conference all-stars Rosie Beale (defence), Kristina Walters-Shumka (defence), Lizzie Yates (defence), Kathleen Leahy (defence/midfielder), and Amanda Kurianowicz (forward).

“The athletes have worked hard over the past two months to earn their right to compete at nationals,” said Vikes head coach Lynne Beecroft, who enters the championship as Canada West coach of the year. “Over the next week, we will continue to train with the same intensity and focus as we have had during the Canada West season. We will be heading to Toronto with a nice mix of veterans and rookies who are excited to continue on their U Sports journey.”

In Ontario, Toronto defeated Guelph 3-2 in the OUA championship on a goal in the 67th minute, after splitting a pair contests this season. The Gryphons took the first match 4-3 on Sept. 24, with the Varsity Blues replying with 3-2 win on Oct. 20.

Guelph boasts the OUA player of the year in Olivia Lane (forward), and fellow all-star Ciara Condon while Toronto’s lineup features conference rookie of the year Rachel Spouge (midfielder) along with Alison Lee (defence), and Emma Wingrave (midfielder), who both were named OUA all-stars this season.

“It’s always exciting to measure yourself against the very best, and we’ll certainly have that opportunity this weekend going against three terrific programs,” said Gryphons head coach Michelle Turley. “Our roster is relatively young, but our six rookies have adjusted nicely and our return veterans have been rock solid. Our goal is to adjust to the water based surface as quickly as possible in order to put ourselves in a position to reach the podium.”

“I expect our team to compete at a high ‎level,” said Varsity Blues head coach John DeSouza. “The objective is to play every minute and see what our hard work will get us.  I hope to have a chance in the final for a championship come Sunday.”

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/fh/index

McCRAE CUP CHAMPIONS

2015 UBC
2014 UBC
2013 UBC
2012 UBC
2011 UBC
2010 Toronto
2009 UBC
2008 Victoria
2007 Toronto
2006 UBC
2005 Alberta                                       
2004 UBC                                                      
2003 UBC                                                      
2002 Victoria                                      
2001 UBC                                                      
2000 Victoria                                      
1999 UBC                                                      
1998 UBC                                                      
1997 Victoria                                      
1996 Toronto                                      
1995 Victoria                                      
1994 Victoria                                      
1993 Toronto                                      
1992 Victoria                                      
1991 Victoria                                      
1990 UBC                                                      
1989 Victoria                                      
1988 Toronto                                      
1987 Victoria                                      
1986 Toronto                                      
1985 Toronto                                      
1984 Victoria                                      
1983 UBC                                                      
1982 UBC                                                      
1981 Toronto                                      
1980 UBC                                                      
1979 Toronto                                      
1978 UBC                                                      
1977 Toronto                                      
1976 Dalhousie                                  
1975 Toronto 

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Nov. 2
9:30 All-Canadian Awards Brunch (Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel)

Thursday, Nov. 3
16:00 Game 1: Victoria vs. Guelph
18:30 Game 2: UBC vs. Toronto

Friday, Nov. 4
16:00 Game 3: UBC vs. Victoria
18:30 Game 4: Toronto vs. Guelph

Saturday, Nov. 5
12:30 Game 5: UBC vs. Guelph
15:00 Game 6: Toronto vs. Victoria

Sunday, Nov. 6
12:30 Bronze medal
15:00 Championship final

About U Sports

U Sports is the national brand for University Sports in Canada. Every year, over 12,000 student-athletes and 500 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national  championships in 12 different sports. U Sports also provides higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit usports.ca or follow us on:

Twitter: @usportsca
Facebook: @usportscanada
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/usportsca
Instagram: @usportsca

-U Sports –

For further information, please contact:

Ken Saint-Eloy
Manager, Communications
U Sports
Cell: 647-871-7595
ksainteloy@usports.ca

Alan Hudes
Coordinator, Communications
U Sports
Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 242
Cell: 647-991-5343
ahudes@usports.ca

Jill Clark
Communications Officer
University of Toronto
Off: 416-978-4263
Cell: 416-938-1620
jill.clark@utoronto.ca