Canadian Pan Am field hockey teams shooting for Rio Olympics
The Canadian men's and women's field hockey teams will be playing for than Pan Am gold when they convene in Toronto next month.
The 16 men and 16 women, who were named to the Pan Am Games teams by Field Hockey Canada on Thursday, will also be competing for a shot at qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Field hockey serves as an official Rio Olympic qualifying tournament, meaning the gold medal winners on both the men's and women's sides automatically advance to the 2016 Summer Games.
The men, ranked 15th in the world, enter the competition as the second-ranked team, behind only world No. 6 Argentina.
Canada and Argentina have battled in the last 10 Pan Am Games finals. The Argentines won gold in 2011, while Canada captured the title in 2007.
The women, the 20th-ranked squad in world, are seeded third, behind the world No.5 Americans and No. 3 Argentina.
The Canadian women last reached the Pan Am Games podium at the 1999 event in Winnipeg.
"We've played a number of the top teams in the world over the last two years," said Ian Rutledge, head coach of the women' national team.
"Now, it's the last opportunity we have to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games. The team we've picked represents the best sixteen players in the country at this time for us to achieve that goal."
Field hockey teams representing Canada:
Men
- Brenden Bissett, Forward New Westminister, B.C.
- David Carter, Goalkeeper, Vancouver
- Taylor Curran, Midfielder, Vancouver
- Adam Froese, Defender, Abbotsford, B.C.
- Matthew Guest, Forward, Vancouver
- Gabriel Ho-Garcia, Forward, Burnaby, B.C.
- David Jameson, Midfielder, Vancouver
- Gordon Johnston, Defender, Vancouver
- Ben Martin, Midfielder, Vancouver
- Devohn Noronha-Teixeira, Forward, Mississauga, Ont.
- Sukhi Panesar, Midfielder, Surrey, B.C.
- Mark Pearson, Midfielder, Tsawwassen, B.C.
- Matthew Sarmento, Forward, Vancouver
- Iain Smythe, Forward, Vancouver
- *Scott Tupper, Defender, Vancouver
- Paul Wharton, Midfielder, Vancouver
*Team captain
Women
- *Thea Culley, Forward, Rossland, B.C.
- **Kate Gillis, Midfielder, Kingston, Ont.
- Hannah Haughn, Forward, North Vancouver
- *Danielle Hennig, Defender, Kelowna, B.C.
- Karli Johansen, Defender, North Vancouver
- Shanlee Johnston, Defender, Vancouver
- Sar McManus, Defender, Tsawwassen, B.C.
- Stephanie Norlander, Forward, North Vancouver
- Abigail Raye, Defender, Kelwona, B.C.
- Maddie Secco, Midfielder, Victoria
- Natalie Sourisseau, Midfielder, Kelowna, B.C.
- Brienne Stairs, Forward Kitchener, Ont.
- Holly Stewart, Forward, North Vancouver
- Alex Thicke, Midfielder, North Vancouver
- Kaitlyn Williams, Goalkeeper, Surrey, B.C.
- Amanda Woodcroft Midfielder Waterloo, Ont.
*Team vice captain
**Team captain
