The skies finally parted on the final day of the 2017 Gryphon Hockey World League Round 2 tournament held last week at West Vancouver’s Rutledge Field, just in time for a heated final.
The one disappointment for Canadian field hockey fans was that the home squad, featuring numerous North Shore players, was not there to play in the big game.
Top-seeded India battled Chile in the final, besting the South American side 3-1 in an overtime penalty shootout to win the match and claim the title following a 1-1 tie. Both teams came away with big prizes, however, as they each earned a ticket to World League Round 3 where they will have a shot at qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
The other five teams at the tournament, co-hosted by the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club, Hockey Canada and the International Hockey Federation, were left with much tougher roads in front of them to qualify for the World Cup. That list includes Canada’s national women’s team, whose hopes were dashed during a heartbreaking loss to Belarus in the quarterfinals Thursday at Rutledge Field. The Canadians looked to be in control with a 3-0 halftime lead – with goals from North Vancouver’s Stephanie Norlander, Hannah Haughn and Rachel Donohoe – but Belarus stormed out of the gate in the second half, scoring three times in the first eight minutes and then getting the winner just after the 50-minute mark. Canada had some chances to tie it up down the stretch but couldn’t convert, falling short of their goal of a top-two finish on their home field.
“This is a tough day really,” Canadian head coach Ian Rutledge said after the Belarus game. “To be three-nil up and to lose 4-3 is never an easy day, and it’s never an easy day when it’s a lot to play for. … But in full credit to our girls, I thought we played a pretty good game for the most of it, and Belarus just got the jump on us in the third quarter.”
Canada finished their tournament with an 8-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago Saturday and a 4-0 win over Mexico Sunday to settle into fifth place.
“It was definitely pretty special to have a tournament like this at home,” said North Vancouver’s Karli Johansen, one of five North Shore natives on the team. “Pretty heartbreaking not to be where we wanted to be in the semi-final yesterday and the final today. … I think we played really well as a team. (We) had some moments obviously that let us down but I’m really proud of everyone.”
While the players were giving it their best shot, an army of volunteers from the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club were pressed into duty in the tournament. Torrential rain threatened to flood the field and shut down the whole show on semifinal Saturday, but a squeegee squadron stepped up to save the day.
“Without the volunteers it would have been a mess,” said WVFHC technical director Geoff Matthews. “We probably would have had to cancel all three games (Saturday).”
The club was obviously hoping to see Canada in the final, said Matthews, but they were still thrilled to see local players competing at the sport’s highest level.
“One bad result kind of cost Canada, which is really unfortunate,” he said. “I know the girls took it quite hard, they wanted to perform on their home ground. That’s just the reality of international sport, unfortunately. … All the Canadians can hold their heads nice and high. Even though the result didn’t go their way, they didn’t disappoint those that came out to watch. There’s a fight and determination in them. Sometimes it just doesn’t go the way you want it to.”
Rain and tough results didn’t dampen the spirits of the fans who came to West Van to watch world class field hockey, said Matthews, who said crowds were 600-800 strong for all of Canada’s games and it was also a packed house for the India vs. Chile final.
“Even though Canada weren’t there the local crowd came out to see some good hockey,” he said.
Canada will have another shot at qualifying for the World Cup but it will be a much tougher road at the Pan American Cup in August, with only one berth available in a tournament that will feature powerhouse teams like Argentina and the United States.
As for the West Vancouver Field Hockey Club, they’ll take a little time to wind down after a whirlwind week, but the tournament was a success and should bode well for hosting future international events at Rutledge, said Matthews. Field Hockey Canada and the IHF were on scene to oversee the technical aspects of the competition, but it was WVFHC members – more than 100 total volunteers – who did most of the heavy lifting to get the tournament going and keep it running smoothly.
“It really brought the club together,” said Matthews. “We had one or two days where we needed volunteers to step up and we had 20 or 30 people put their hands up and answer the call.”
