Canada vs. U.S. showdown continues in West Van
Junior national field hockey teams battle at Rutledge Field
West Vancouver native Shannon Elmitt (left), playing for Canada’s junior women’s national field hockey team, fends off a defender from the United States U19 team Wednesday at West Van’s Rutledge Field. Canada won 1-0 to draw first blood in the exhibition series that wraps up Sunday.
Photograph by: NEWS photo , Mike Wakefield
The best junior women’s field hockey players in North America are on display now at West Vancouver’s Rutledge Field as Canada’s U21 and U17 national teams are taking on the U19 and U17 teams from the United States in an eight-game exhibition series.
The countries split round 1 Wednesday with Canada’s U21s claiming a tight 1-0 win over the U.S. U19s with North Vancouver’s Holly Stewart scoring the game’s only goal, while the U.S. U17s grabbed a 2-0 win over Canada’s U17s to open the tournament.
The series continues today with the U17’s battling at noon and the older teams taking the field at 2 p.m. The action wraps up with games this weekend starting at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
There’s a strong North Shore flavour to both of Canada’s national teams with seven local players suiting up for the U17 team and 10 playing for the U21 squad.
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