The Handsworth Royals used precision passing and unrelenting offence to capture the North Shore AAA girls field hockey championship Monday with a 4-1 victory over the West Vancouver Highlanders.
For the last two years the Handsworth Royals were the best girls AAA field hockey team in B.C. But while reigning as undisputed champs in the province, their big cheese status was disputed on the North Shore as local highcalibre field hockey squads deprived the Royals of the North Shore title.
Rallying behind Emily Martin's hat trick, the Royals stormed the shooting circle in the second half of Monday's final, putting the game out of reach after a slow start.
"We have trouble winning the North Shore final," said coach Paul Winstanley. "The only game we lost last year was in the North Shore final so we were determined to win it."
The Highlanders kept the first half close with a smothering half-court defence that put the Royals off balance.
"The first 20 minutes we didn't adapt but the players started to adapt and then at halftime we talked about it and the players started to play against that system much better," Winstanley said.
Using short, crisp passes to find the cracks in the Highlanders' defence quickly yielded scoring chances, and the Royals notched three second half goals to cement the win.
The Highlanders' strategy may be a prelude to the tactics the Royals can expect in the provincial tournament, according to Winstanley.
"Because we're two-time provincial champs there will be teams trying different strategies against us so it's very useful for us to play against a defensive system," he said.
One of those strategies might be trying to lock the high-scoring Royals into a defensive struggle where one goal could be enough to dethrone the defending champs.
"It was very useful for them to experience that and learn to be patient and control the ball," Winstanley said. "They were very calm in the game, didn't panic. Just kept playing."
That coolness on the pitch displays a strong mindset, according to Winstanley.
"It was important because we played well and it seemed to me that the team is believing in itself more than a month ago," he said. "I think if we hadn't played well and won or hadn't won that there would be doubt in the team's mind."
The team has a good mix of experience and enthusiasm, according to Winstanley.
"We've got a very seasoned group of leadership that knows what it takes to win and how difficult it is in that final game," the coach said.
Of the 18 players, seven were part of the squad that captured last year's provincial title against the Cowichan Thunderbirds of Duncan.
Cowichan defeated Handsworth earlier this season, and is one of a few teams Winstanley is focused on heading into provincials.
"They were a young team last year and a good team, but they lacked some experience last year," he said. "This year, they've had a year's experience at the senior level and they're a good strong team, well coached."
With only a few practices before the season's end, the team is working on defensive marking, working inside the shooting circle, and corner plays.
"We have to execute on our short corners. We have to get some short corner goals," Winstanley said.
While the team is led by its veterans, the strong play of its 11 rookies has also been crucial, Winstanley said.
They've learned to compete with great mental and physical intensity, Winstanley said.
"They can't just walk on the field and expect to win. They have to earn it."
Handsworth will be trying to earn their third straight provincial championship Nov. 13-15 at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West.
