If piling up wins in Fraser Valley league play was a high priority then the South Delta Sun Devils would be quite content these days. Instead, it's about getting better and being prepared for what's on the horizon.
The Sun Devils have been a perennial powerhouse in high school girls field hockey and last season made a serious run at their first-ever provincial championship, bowing out of gold medal contention with a 1-0 loss in the semifinals. Eight members of that team have graduated which should mean taking a step back this season, but not if coach Neil McLennan can help it.
Thanks to the Delta Falcons strong club system and a longtime dedicated coach who runs one of the top programs in the province, the Sun Devils still plan on making some noise come the provincial "AAA" championships in November.
"It really is hard to tell what this team is capable of," said McLennan. "We are young in the sense we are having to replace eight Grade 12s who were excel-lent athletes, but these are still experienced players. They are all really good kids that work hard for each other and, as a coach, that is all you can really ask of them."
The Sun Devils made short work of the visiting North Delta Huskies on Tuesday at Winskill Park but McLennan was more interested in his team's structure than the final score.
He was constantly reminding his young players of their positioning on the field and decision making, knowing there will be much tougher opponents further down the road.
"This is about getting us ready for the better teams we will be seeing later on," said Grade 12 team captain Libbie Pritchard, in her fourth-year with the program. "This is a different team than last year but there's still a lot of good young talent here."
Pritchard is yet another player who has come through the South Delta program with the potential to continue her career at the university level. Two years ago, the squad featured Sara McManus (Junior/ Senior National Team and UBC) and Shannon Herold (Stanford University), while last year's graduates included Emma Mackie who accepted a full-ride scholarship to Providence College.
"It comes down to where field hockey is going to fit with these kids' studies," said McLennan. "Libbie definitely has the ability but it's got to make sense with what she wants to do."
The Sun Devills will be off to the Island this weekend for the annual John Ferreira Memorial Tournament in Cowichan. They will also be in Victoria on Thanksgiving Weekend for the prestigous Bridgman Cup.
Short corners...
South Delta will have a nearby rival this season as field hockey has returned to Delta secondary school for the first time in a decade. The Pacers, which also have benefitted from students playing in the Falcons club system, defeated Sullivan Heights 6-0 in their home opener Tuesday.
The Sun Devils and Pacers will meet Oct. 18 at Holly Park.
