Eighteen men have been named to the Canadian men’s field hockey team that will compete at the International Hockey Federation’s World League Semi-Final in London, England from June 15-26, 2017.
The Canadian team features 17 players who competed in World League Round 2 in Trinidad and Tobago, where Canada finished second this April.
The eighteenth player on the World League Semi-Final team is Floris van Son, who was injured during World League Round 2, and has been playing his club hockey in the Netherlands.
Final Score: ??1-4??. Focus now shifts to World League Semi-Finals in London, which begin next Thursday, June 15th! #HWL2017
— Field Hockey Canada (@FieldHockeyCan) June 7, 2017
The team also features 12 players who represented Canada the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, including captain Scott Tupper, veteran midfielder Mark Pearson, and goalkeeper David Carter.
Canada – currently ranked 11th in the world – enters the tournament as the 7th ranked team and is grouped in Pool B with the Netherlands (4), India (6), Pakistan (13), and Scotland (23).
The Canadians open pool play against Pakistan on June 16th at 6:00pm local time.
One more game in front of the French fans for @fhc_mnt on Wednesday before they head out to London for #HWL2017 Semi-Final! pic.twitter.com/QD1CFeh9vD
— Field Hockey Canada (@FieldHockeyCan) June 6, 2017
The last time Canada competed at the World League Semi-Final was in 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Canadians all but guaranteed their spot at the 2016 Olympic Games by finishing fourth on the shoulders of a memorable shootout victory in the tournament quarterfinal against New Zealand.
Men’s National Team – 2017 World League Semi-Final