GAME 2: 2009 CIS women’s field hockey championship: Vikes begin title defence with 1-0 win

VICTORIA (CIS) – The tournament host and third-seeded Victoria Vikes began their title defence at the CIS women’s field hockey championship with a 1-0 victory over the No. 4 Toronto Varsity Blues.

For the second consecutive year, Victoria defeated Toronto on the opening day of the national tournament. In 2008, the Vikes took a 2-1 decision from the Varsity Blues en route to the program’s record-tying 11th McCrae Cup title.

Angela Buttress, a third-year forward from North Vancouver, B.C., scored the game’s lone goal only two minutes into the contest.

Victoria generated early pressure deep in the Toronto zone, and Buttress managed to foil the clearance attempt and skied the ball into the top corner.

“I think it was really important just to get our heads in the right place and get the first goal,” said Buttress, who was named Victoria’s player of the game. “[Toronto] is always a hard-working team, but their style is completely different from ours so we never quite know how it’s going to turn out when we play against them on the turf.”

Buttress came close to widening the lead minutes later, but was thwarted by Toronto ‘keeper Samantha Lyzun.

Kaitlyn Williams, an all-Canadian netminder from White Rock, B.C., earned her second career shutout at the CIS tournament.

Defender Anna Sophie Kehrein was named player of the game for the OUA finalist Blues. The rookie from Germany was relentless in the backfield, holding the Vikes to just one goal and keeping the pressure off.

The Varsity Blues (0-1) will need another strong defensive effort in game 4, later Thursday, as they battle their OUA rivals, the top-seeded Guelph Gryphons (0-1), who dropped a 3-1 decision to the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds in their opener. The rematch of the OUA final, which Guelph won 1-0, takes place at 5:50 p.m. Pacific Time.

Victoria (1-0), meanwhile, will not return to the pitch until day two with a morning match-up against UBC (1-0). The two west coast rivals are tied for the CIS lead with 11 McCrae Cup titles apiece. Game time is 10 a.m.

GAME NOTES: All five participating teams at the CIS championship face each of their rivals once in round-robin play from Thursday to Saturday, with the two teams with the best records at the end of the preliminary round advancing to Sunday’s national final at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.

SCORING SUMMARY
VIC: 1-0: 1
TOR: 0-0: 0

First half
2nd, VIC, Angela Buttress (1)

Second half
No scoring

Goaltenders
VIC: Kaitlyn Williams (W, 70:00, 0 GA, 1-0)
TOR: Samantha Lyzun (L, 70:00, 1 GA, 0-1)

Players of the game
VIC: Angela Buttress (North Vancouver, B.C.)
TOR: Anna Sophie Kehrein (Speyet, Germany)

CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING, STANDINGS & SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL: PACIFIC)

For all the information on the championship: www.cis-sic.ca  

Seeding

1. Guelph Gryphons (OUA champions)
2. UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West champions)
3. Victoria Vikes (second place Canada West)
4. Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA finalists)
5. Alberta Pandas (third place Canada West)

Round-robin standings (after 1 of 10 games)

GP W L T GF GA PTS
1. UBC 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
2. Victoria 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
3. Alberta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4. Toronto 1 0 1 0 0 1 0
5. Guelph 1 0 1 0 1 3 0

Thursday, Nov. 5
Round-Robin 1: UBC 3, Guelph 1
Round-Robin 2: Victoria 1, Toronto 0
15:30 Round-Robin 3: UBC vs. Alberta
17:50 Round-Robin 4: Guelph vs. Toronto

Friday, Nov. 6
10:00 Round-Robin 5: Victoria vs. UBC
12:20 Round-Robin 6: Toronto vs. Alberta
16:00 Round-Robin 7: Guelph vs. Victoria

Saturday, Nov. 7
10:00 Round-Robin 8: Victoria vs. Alberta
12:20 Round-Robin 9: UBC vs. Toronto
16:00 Round-Robin 10: Guelph vs. Alberta
17:30 Tie-Breaking Strokes (if necessary)

Sunday, Nov. 8
10:00 Bronze medal
13:00 Championship final

- CIS -