They will play exhibitions series in France
Maddie Hunter won’t have to look far for inspiration in both her Canadian international and University of Victoria Vikes field hockey careers. Mom Deb Whitten was the goaltender for Canada at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, two World Cups and silver and bronze medallist at the 1991 Havana and 1995 Mar del Plata Pan Am Games and also won four Canada West and two U Sports national championships with the University of Victoria Vikes.
Hunter has been named to the Canadian team for a U-18 Test series against host France this month and will join the four-time defending champion UVic Vikes in the fall following graduation from Grade 12 at Oak Bay, which was also her mother’s high school. “I loved listening to, and grew up on, stories of my mom’s experiences at UVic and for Canada in international play,” said Hunter.“That was not for me … I flinch if the ball is fired in my direction,” she quipped.Also named to the Canada U-18 team with Hunter for the France tour are fellow Victoria players Amanda Adams, Rebecca Stone and Anais Chace.
“The game is faster and more demanding than the level junior athletes are typically exposed to domestically. The players are fitter, they make better decisions, they make less errors, and more is required tactically,” Canadian U-18 head coach Chris Tyrrell said in a statement. “Experiencing this firsthand is an invaluable lesson that there really is no substitute for. “[These tours] give a small window into what it might be like to be a senior international player. Not everything is the same, of course, but we want the players on these junior teams to aspire to one day be representing Team Canada on the biggest stage. That’s a big dream and these junior tours can give athletes a feel for what the practicalities of living that dream might be.
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