With COVID safety measures in place, AOS-Goderich will be resuming training sessions on the GDCI pitch. Participants will need to have an FHO membership for insurance purposes, and be aware of the new protocols implemented by Field Hockey Canada and the various government health agencies. Players/parents will need to complete the necessary health assessment forms prior to being cleared to participate. For more details, email [email protected].
0 Comments
By Fred Suave
After 16 weekends of training and a gruelling week in Calgary, Goderich’s Darcie Brohman returned home with a Canadian bronze medal from the Canadian National Under-15 Field Hockey Championships. The 14-year-old AOS-Goderich player has spent the summer honing her skills that saw her rewarded with a starting spot on this year’s Ontario West squad. “It was such a good opportunity and something I’ll never forget," said Brohman. "To play for a Canadian medal felt like the best thing in the world.” Ontario West opened the tournament in Pool B with an 8-1 win over Ontario East, with Brohman earning a pair of assists playing left midfield. Brohman then moved to left defence when the squad lost their starter due to illness. The West squad next defeated PEI 4-2, but lost 1-0 to BC Lions in a match which saw Ontario shorthanded four times due to penalties. Ontario then faced the defending Canadian champs, the BC Rams in the semi-final. The game was a thriller with BC scoring on a penalty corner with under 2 minutes remaining for a 1-0 win. The Rams went on repeat as champs with a 4-0 final against Ontario Central. In the bronze match, Ontario West faced the BC Lions in a rematch. In the first half, Ontario had great chances but failed to score. In the second half, after killing a penalty, Ontario earned a penalty stroke when a BC defender used her body to prevent a ball from entering the net. Tournament scoring leader Mallory Mackesy made no mistake burying the stroke for a 1-0 lead, and Ontario West held on for the win. “The most stressful part would definitely have to be the last 3 minutes of play,” said Brohman. “BC had just pulled their goalie and were up an extra man. They were trying to get chances on our net to get a last minute goal.” Asked to describe a typical day she said it contained a pre-game meeting with video analysis of opponents, followed by a team meeting to go over plays and watch videos for error correction from prior games. They also had one-on-one coaching conferences and often did some team building and/or had a light practice. “Playing at the National level is truly a whole new level of sport for me,” said Brohman. “All the girls were very skilled and competitive, and everyone really wanted to be there and had worked so hard to be there. The thing that surprised me the most was probably how many people are there to support you and how much time they spend off and on the field with you to enhance your game play. We had physiotherapists that helped us whenever needed and people constantly taking videos of the game so we could look back and analyze them as a team. We had cooks who would make us our own meals to take to the field on game days and we had really amazing coaches that helped us all grow as individual players as well as a successful team. The best moment would have to be winning bronze with my team. We had all come such a long way, trained so hard and wanted it so bad. It was truly a very special moment for us.” And while that would already be a fantastic conclusion for an athlete, she’s not done yet; not by a long shot. Upon arriving home, Brohman received a letter from South African coach Patrick Tshutshani, appointed by Field Hockey Canada as the NextGen Women's Head Coach and Program Manager to identify future players for Canada. It included an invitation to head to Canada’s U15 evaluation camp at the University of Victoria in Victoria, BC next week once he is finished with the Women’s National Team at the Pan Am Games in Peru. “It felt like a very surreal feeling. At first I didn’t believe it, but now I’m so excited.” Only 30 players from across Canada were selected. AOS-Goderich wins U14 silver at Canadian Cultural and Field Hockey Club Tournament - Mississauga6/30/2019 Gold Medal Match
AOS-Goderich 0 - GOA 2 Pool Play AOS-Goderich 1 - Kingston 0 (Brylie Campbell) AOS Goderich 2 - Nepean 3 (Amelia Bissett, Clara Leduc) AOS-Goderich 4 - Quebec Phoenix 1 (Darcy Brohman 2, Jordyn Speckeen, Clara Leduc) AOS-Goderich 1 - Scarborough Dolphins 0 (Jordyn Speckeen) Goderich's Payten Lang of Team Ontario takes on Carmen Andiel of British Columbia today at the Canadian National Field Hockey Championships in Vancouver. Payten's U23 team tied 1-1 and won 6-0 today. If they can win again tomorrow, they would advance to play for Canadian gold. Good luck Payten! Bring home a medal!
Goderich field hockey players make Ontario squads
More local field hockey talent will be representing Goderich and the province of Ontario this summer at the Canadian National Field Hockey Championships in July. After nine weekend tryouts in Brampton, final rosters were listed today, with a pair of Goderich players among the talent. Each player came out ranked as one of the top 16 players in their age category in the province. Darcy Brohman will represent in the U15 category when her team travels to Calgary to take on the best of the best in her age grouping. “I’m most excited about growing as a player, said the grade 8 student at GDCI. “I hope to learn a lot about the sport, develop and improve skills and have an amazing experience as an athlete representing Ontario. Brohman will be coached by Bernadette Bowyer, a two-time Pan-American Games medalist and former Olympian who represented Canada in Spain in 1992, as well as Goderich’s Ray Lewis, a Canadian medalist. “The coaches truly want the best for you as a player and take the skill development and drills very seriously,” said Brohman. “Though it is a serious environment, the coaches still love to get to know the girls and have fun with us. It’s a very supportive environment where everyone there wants the best for you.” Brohman said she was urged to try out by club coach Lewis, and has since been introduced to a new regimen of player journals, fitness testing, and zone play twice a week on the turf in Toronto. “I jumped on the opportunity because I wanted to challenge myself as a player,” she said. “I can’t thank him enough for suggesting this as it truly has been an incredible experience.” Asked about her goals, she sets the bar high. “In the future I hope to play on Team Ontario again and maybe even make Team Canada,” she said.” I want to get a scholarship to play field hockey in university to continue my love for the sport as I grow up.” Brohman’s team will open their tournament side on July 24 against PEI, and are pooled with BC and the East. Veteran forward Payten Lang also cracked the provincial line-up, and will be heading to Vancouver for the U23 Canadian Nationals beginning June 28. The 21-year-old captain for the Western Mustangs was in tough against a number of national, university, and NCAA players, but her speed and scoring ability make her a constant threat, hard to be ignored. Lang’s own resume includes being an OUA scoring leader and UWO rookie of the year. Despite her experience, Lang admitted being a little intimidated as one of the few recruits without previous experience for Ontario. “Playing at this level is very intense. Everyone has such a high skill level and come from all different post secondary schools. There are girls who have played Nationals before and it’s amazing to watch the different caliber,” said Lang. “It’s an honour to be ranked as one of the top 16 in Ontario. This was my first return back from an injury so it feels good to have some hard work pay off.” In her spare time, Lang is now giving back to the community, by helping to coach with AOS-Goderich. “Coaching U10s is an experience,” said Lang. “When you coach children at a young age, you are able to see them develop dramatically from the first time they held a stick. Each week, they continue to come to practice with a smile, eager to learn. I love it.” The AOS-Goderich U12 Field Hockey squad got their season off to a great start, returning from the two-day Halton Jr. Field Hockey Festival in Burlington as gold medalists. The young team surprised the field, finishing first over-all in pool play after victories over Halton Thrashers, Peterborough Maverick, and Brampton Lions, and a draw with Kitchener-Waterloo Dragons. In the playoff round the squad defeated Halton in the semi-finals and then beat Kitchener-Waterloo 4-2 in the gold medal match.
More extraordinary is how they did it. Not only did the group play all six matches without a single substitute, they also played the full 240 minutes with an empty net, as they were without their goalkeeper. Despite that, they outscored the opposition 24-5 and earned 3 shutouts over six games. The super seven are: Lainey Cox, Carly Dejong, Rebecca Phillips, Amelia Bissett, Brylie Campbell, Clara Leduc, and Emmi Coups. Goderich has another new field hockey player breaking into the Ontario ranks, as 15-year-old Megan Kovats was able to crack the line-up of the Ontario U16 Girls indoor squad. With twice weekly training sessions in Guelph since December, the young defender said she has definitely learned a lot from University of Guelph and National coaches Michelle Turley and Nick Govia. “It was really challenging,” said Kovats. “They were really good at trying to teach you new skills for different indoor situations.” Kovats, whose been playing field hockey since grade eight, recently returned from her first international competition, making her debut in Pennsylvania in February at the pristine US Olympic training centre in Lancaster.“It was fun meeting so many new people, and I got to play at the actual training centre,” she said. Asked about the biggest improvements in her game, she replied getting better defensively, and taking penalty strokes. “My tomahawk is coming,” she laughed, referring to her backhand hit. The Goderich native just returned from a 10-day tour of Europe, playing against clubs in the Netherlands in Amsterdam and Arnhem. “It was really cool to see the skills of the other teams.” Next up for the defender will be the U18 Ontario tryouts for outdoor held in Brampton, and returning to play the Junior Women’s Provincial League season with her Goderich club team. Goodhue commits to Waterloo AOS-Goderich would like to congratulate forward Taylor Goodhue in committing to play in the Ontario University Association. The second year Goderich player will now ply her skills with the Waterloo Warriors, joining alumni Kailee Hewitt and Kyra Lewis. Goodhue recently competed with the Ontario Indoor U18 team after a stellar high school career that sees her graduate as a four-time OFSAA medalist, with hopes of still adding to that number at the end of this year’s soccer season. The AOS-Goderich field hockey club is getting ready for a banner year with tough competition and a new team.
The U18 girls squad will be returning to the Junior Women’s Provincial League, where they will again be the smallest centre joining teams from Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington, Mississauga, Scarborough, Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa. The local club hopes to continue their success, as they captured the 2017 Ontario Championship, with many of their graduates advancing to the Ontario University circuit. The league did not run last season as Ontario was busy hosting the National Championships, so this year’s squad will be a little younger. “We have a solid corps of players moving up from U15,” said coach Ray Lewis. “They are certainly capable, coming off a silver medal in the Western Indoor League in Waterloo.” In addition, the local club will be fielding a U15 recreation squad for some tournament play, as well as an intro program for U10 girls following on the heels of their successful indoor program. “With our seniors doing well, we are trying to build some consistency in youth development, and we are now in a position to have certified coaching to start the younger girls,” said Lewis. “A number of our girls playing university are back to help out, so it’s great to have successful females as role models for the next group.” Field Hockey Ontario has begun to offer more initiatives for younger players. For more information, interested persons can visit https://goderichfieldhockey/weebly.com. AOS-Goderich Tours Europe
The AOS-Goderich squad spent the last 10 days in Europe, touring the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The team competed against opponents from FIT Amsterdam and Arnhem HC making many new friends and learning new dances. The group also attended a training session with National head coach Ben Howarth. We sat down with Coach Lew for a quick Q and A. Whom did you take? We took 20 outdoor members of the AOS-Goderich Field Hockey Club and five parents. The majority of our squad is under-16 and attends GDCI, but we also have players from St. Anne's, Stratford Northwestern and Strathroy District Collegiate. We are playing friendly matches, taking part in a clinic and experiencing the history. How was this planned/funded? Head coach Ray Lewis organized the trip through Assist Travel and Tours and the players funded/fundraised the entire trip themselves. The players also purchased souvenir gifts (lanyards, etc.) to exchange with Dutch players in the pregame, and also bought Canadian teddy bears for a captains exchange at the opening ceremonies. Outside of that, the team received souvenir pins from the Town of Goderich, and a wreath from the Goderich Legion. Shea Frayne created a video to introduce players, and Rob Boyce to introduce the Town of Goderich. Have you taken teams from previous years over the Europe? Where did you go last year? Yes. I have taken both soccer and field hockey teams every few years. The last time we traveled as a field hockey team we were invited to take part in an international series in California. Why do you take the team to Europe? What advantages do the girls gain of an experience like this? The Dutch are the world champs and we have so many Dutch roots here in our immediate area. We wanted to do something unique and I wanted the players to experience the highest level of the sport so that they would be able to reflect upon that and enhance their own game. So we purposely wanted to play good teams that would thrash us. It was about learning, not winning. The winning comes after. Where did you go? Whom did you play? We spent time in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Arnhem, Baarn, Nijmegen), Germany (Kleve), Belgium (Bruges, Ghent) and made a pitstop both ways in Iceland. We started in Amsterdam because I wanted the girls to experience the pro level, playing teams from Amsterdam FIT and Arnhem Hockey Club as well as taking part in clinics with national coach Ben Howarth. We played the top level teams in each category, so, if this were ice hockey, imagine we are a local U17 team playing the London Knights. One of the best parts of the trip was having National head coach Ben Howarth for a 3 hour session at the Hurley Club in Amsterdam, one of the most prestigious clubs in Europe. It was an awesome experience for the girls and for myself to work with him. Only for field hockey? Or also for leisure/sight seeing? As a history teacher, there's no way I would miss students taking part in the richness of history. We went to Nijmegen, a 2000 year old Roman town. We visited the bridge-too-far in Arnhem. Toured the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, saw the art works recovered by the Monument's Men. We climbed towers, visited a castle and ate our weight in Belgian waffles and chocolate; just for starters. We located and paid tribute to fallen Goderich soldiers at Groesbeck Cemetery with a wreath donated by Goderich Legion Branch 109 and toured the Liberation Museum. In Ghent we witnessed student activism in the name of climate change. Any words of wisdom about a trip like this for such young athletes? You get stagnate if you just stay in your own pond, so I always encourage players to get out of their comfort zone. It really opened the eyes of some of our players, especially in terms of skill, but definitely in terms of culture and tolerance. The people we met were amazing hosts. Importance of a trip like this? It's all about exposure. We have more AOS-Goderich graduates playing top level hockey in our region, at university, etc. than any other sport. Our players leave Goderich and, if they want, have the skills to make a team at the next level. This trip was about opening their eyes to that. It was also about showing players how passionate the rest of the world is about the game. And they saw that in the facilities and the people. Interested in joining one of the region's fastest growing sports? Registration is now open for this season's U10 field hockey program. All players who register by March 25 will receive the added bonus of a free stick and ball, a $50 value. Click on the Pixie Sticks link under the Outdoor tab.
|
AuthorStories and articles by Frederico Suave Archives
May 2024
Categories |