In 2018, the UVic women’s field hockey team won their first national title in a decade. Since that year, the Vikes have dominated the Canadian collegiate level of the game. Tomorrow, they’re scheduled to begin playing in the Final Four tournament to battle for their sixth-straight U SPORTS National Championship banner.
On the surface, this drastic change in the program’s national championship streak might seem to be the result of brand-new leadership with new playing strategies.
Yet, the only change in the team’s coaching staff since 1985 was last year on January 20th, when assistant coach of 26 years Krista Thompson replaced head coach Lynne Beecroft, who retired after 39 years in the position.
The only explanation for the rise of Vikes women’s field hockey is the dedication of the players and their coaches: nurturing growth for their team’s reputation both on and off the field.
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After returning from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and representing Canada alongside the women’s national field hockey team, Lynne “Buzz” Beecroft was asked by a friend playing for UVic if she could coach their team for the season. When they went on to win their first ever national title that year, she officially took over as the team’s full-time head coach.
Over the next 38 years, Beecroft led the team to 14 more U SPORTS National Championships and countless other accolades. By the end of her final season in 2022, Beecroft had earned the team 34 total national medals, coached almost 40 players on the Canadian National Team, and established UVic women’s field hockey as one of the strongest collegiate programs in Canada across any sport.
As the program’s long-time assistant coach, Krista Thompson had hoped to succeed Beecroft in the event of her retirement. “It was a goal I set for myself, and I’ve done my best to gain as much head coaching experience as possible outside of my assistant role to prepare for when the opportunity arose,” said Thompson after she was offered the position last January.
In 2003, she founded the Rising Stars youth field hockey program for the public on UVic campus. Thompson has continued to lead the organization since its establishment, building its reputation as a feeder program for young elite athletes hoping to be a part of the Vikes dynasty.
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After the UBC Thunderbirds won 1-0 in the first match of the 2024 Canada West women’s field hockey championship finals against UVic earlier this month, they were hopeful to win the conference title and advance to nationals for the first time since 2017.
The score remained tied at zero until the final 12 minutes of the match, when the Vikes were awarded a penalty stroke after a scramble of blocked shots and Anni Kleinschmidt scored to secure a 1-0 lead. In the final five minutes, Chloe Langkammer and Amanda Adams managed to double– then triple– this lead after Vikes goalkeeper Anais Chace successfully shut out UBC’s offense.
The game ended with a score of 3-0, winning the championship for the sixth year straight and earning the record-tying 25th overall Canada West Championship title for the Vikes program.
Three Vikes were named Canada West All-Stars, all hailing from Vancouver Island: Langkammer, a 4th-year forward from Duncan who has scored 7 goals so far this season, Libby Hogg, a 4th-year defense player from Oak Bay earning this honor for the fourth time, and Maeve Connorton, a 3rd-year midfielder from Lambrick Park and three-time All-Star.
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The Vikes will play at York University during the first round of the U SPORTS Field Hockey Championship against the University of Waterloo on October 31st, against PEI on November 1st, against York on November 2nd, and in either the bronze or gold medal match on November 3rd. The team is eager to bring home their 17th national championship and continue their streak.
The team’s goals don’t end with their season: Coach Thompson and the UVic women’s field hockey team will return to the Lynne “Buzz” Beecroft field on campus for the off season, continuing to grow not only their program but the game on the Island through next year and the years to come.