VANCOUVER – The UBC women's field hockey program is excited to welcome eight standout recruits to the Thunderbirds for the upcoming season. UBC has earned a record 25 Canada West titles and 19 U SPORTS National Championships over the years and are thrilled to continue building toward future success. Kenzie Girgis, Hazel Taylor, Malika Kahlon, Malvika Kahlon, Shyana Ringma, Riley Brown, Russem Thind, and Alyson Denis will don the blue and gold in 2022.
 
"This is one of the largest new recruit classes we have seen in a while, but I am so excited to have these amazing athletes join us at UBC," said current T-Birds head coach, and six-time U SPORTS national champion, Poonam Sandhu. "They all bring different abilities, experiences, and skills and I believe that will help us in our pursuit of excellence. Celebrating our differences and providing space for growth in those spaces is a fantastic way of building a strong team. They all bring something special to the group and we are really looking forward to watching these athletes thrive in our environment and hopefully learn a few new things along the way. Our returning athletes are a group of strong, confident, and welcoming students and so I have no doubt they will support our new recruits this year. I am truly excited for this season and can't wait to get started this August at our pre-season camp."



Kenzie Girgis is a midfielder from Ottawa, Ontario who graduated from Glebe Collegiate Institute and will study Environmental Engineering at UBC. "We are very exciting for Kenzie to join our program," added Sandhu. "As a next gen athlete from Ontario, she is a strong midfield presence with great speed, skill, and vision, I think she is going to be a great addition to our current roster and will bring a lot of experience into the mix."


 
Calgary, Alberta's Hazel Taylor is a midfielder who plans to study Oceanography and Biology while playing for the 'Birds, and recently graduated from Sir Winston Churchill High School. "Hazel brings a strong game awareness and skill level to our group," commented Sandhu. "She recently represented Canada in the U18 US-CAN series, so we're excited for all that she will bring as a midfield."



Malika Kahlon joins the 'Birds from Surrey, B.C. as a Semiahmoo Secondary graduate. The right forward and midfielder will study Anthropology at UBC with her sights set on eventually studying Law. "Malika is a crafty young forward with a great eye for eliminating defenders," Sandhu explained. "Her ability to beat lines of defense with ease is something we're really excited for her to showcase this season with the birds. We are very excited for her to join our team this season and bring her wealth of experience in the forward line to our team."


 
Surrey, B.C.'s Malvika Kahlon is also a Semiahmoo Secondary graduate who will study Computer Science or Biology at UBC while playing left forward and midfield. "Malvika brings a level of skill and abilities to our team as a midfield/forward," said Sandhu. "To have the ability to jump into the forward line as midfielder is a great attribute and we look forward to watching Malvika thrive in this space. We are looking forward to her contributions on the attacking side and yes, you guessed it, Malika and Malvika are twins!"
 


Shyana Ringma comes to the T-Birds from Victoria, B.C. as a graduate of Mt. Douglas Secondary School who is pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC's Sauder School of Business. "Shyana is a speedy midfield/defender with great skill," added Sandhu. "She has great game awareness and decision-making skills, and we look forward to Shyana joining our group and bringing in her experience that she has gained from the next gen program."
 
North Vancouver's Riley Brown is a forward/midfielder who will study Psychology at UBC and eventually Law. "Riley not only is a strong field hockey player, but she also brings strong character to the team," explained Sandhu. "Riley has a team first attitude, and we love to see this in our young athletes. Riley joins us from Handsworth Secondary, a school that has been dominating the high school field hockey scene for years. We are excited for Riley to join us as a forward and watch her thrive in our group."



Russem Thind joins the Thunderbirds as a transfer student from York University, who is pursuing a dual degree in Kinesiology and Nutrition. "Russem is originally from Surrey, B.C., and is a hardworking midfielder with a strong understanding of the game," commented Sandhu. "Russem is calm and collected with her decision-making abilities, but a firecracker in the game. We are looking forward to Russem joining the thunderbirds as a red-shirt this year and watching her grow within our program."
 
 
Alyson Denis was born in Edmonton, Alberta, but moved to Duncan, B.C. and graduated from Cowichan Secondary School. Denis will study Astronomy and either Physics or Philosophy at UBC. "Alyson is a midfield/forward with an impressive toolbox of skills as she has power, speed, skill, and game awareness," said Sandhu. "We are really looking forward to Alyson joining our team this year and are excited for what she will bring to our attacking line-up."
 
The 'Birds begin their 2022 Canada West regular season on September 17^th in Calgary against the Dinos, while the U SPORTS National Championships are slated for November 3-7^th.