VANCOUVER – The winningest team in both Canada West and U SPORTS field hockey history begins its 2023 season this weekend in Calgary.
The Thunderbirds, led by new head Richard Hildreth, will be looking to build on a second place finish in the conference last season and unseat the Victoria Vikes, who have won four consecutive CW and national championships. The T-Birds had taken home seven straight U SPORTS banners before Victoria's recent run, and Hildreth says another national title is the goal for this year.
"We've been working really hard through the summer to develop our fitness, speed, and style of play," noted Hildreth. "The team has shown a tremendous ability to learn new concepts and adapt to a faster pace of play. Calgary and Victoria are both very strong teams. But I'm confident that we can get results if we play our game."
The T-Birds open the Canada West season visiting the Dinos for a pair of 10 a.m. (PT) starts on Saturday, September 9
th and Sunday, September 10
th. Despite Calgary's last place finish in 2022, and UBC's 4-0 record against them, Hildreth says the team will not be taking its opponent lightly.
"Traditionally, the Dinos are a very structured and well-coached team," he added. "They work very hard, play very tough, and they have some dangerous players in attack. We are expecting a competitive game against a team that fights for every ball."
The 'Birds home opener is 11 a.m. (PT) Saturday, September 23
rd at Wright Field when the Vikes come to town. Find the team's full schedule
here.
