2010: Garneau's Final Match Against Malvern

The MGCI girls’ field hockey season is off to a strong start. Busy with the boys’ soccer team running again, Mr. Hillman was unable to return as field hockey coach this year, leaving many fans wondering whether Garneau would even manage to have a hockey team. But with steadfast willpower and perseverance, captain Nicolette Bertsch managed to recruit coach Cecil Lau to take over Hillman’s position. The team, of course, could not be formed until a coach had been ascertained, so tryouts were a bit rushed and the team only had one real practice before their first game.
The match was played at Cherry beach: Marc Garneau vs. North Toronto CI. The cougars dominated the first half, repeatedly bringing the ball up the left wing for two great goals. Abigail Chau (#15) scored the first goal off of a pass from mid-field. The second goal was scored when Garneau was given six short corners in a row, and on the sixth, Michelle Yeung (#5) managed to put the ball in the net right as the whistle blew for half-time.
The second half was dismal in comparison. Each time Garneau’s defense cleared the ball, North Toronto would retake control and charge back down the field. Goalie Pearson made a number of valiant saves, but it was only a matter of time before the ball found the net. Marc Garneau still won the match 2-1.
About half of this year’s players are rookies with no field hockey experience, but they are quickly catching on to the basics of the game.
“I wanted to recruit a lot of grade nines and tens,” says Bertsch. “It’s important to start (the players) young.” 2011 will largely be a rebuilding year for the team. After winning last year’s season, all but four members of the starting line-up graduated. But despite all the difficulties and confusion of getting started, it looks as if 2011 will be a promising year, both for the players and the fan base.