Two Richmond field hockey players figured prominently in last weekend's CIS Nationals Chamionships in Toronto.
Third-year goaltender Bea Francisco backstopped the top ranked UBC Thunderbirds to their second straight national title and third McCrae Cup title in four years with a 3-0 win over the No. 2 University of Toronto Blues in the gold medal game. The Canada West champions ended the national tournament with a 4-0-1 record with Francisco recording three shutouts.
UBC has won a record 14 national championships, three more than Toronto and Victoria.
Francisco, a graduate of Little Flower Academy, joined the Thunderbirds in late September after helping Canada's junior national team secure a 2013 World Cup berth with a second place finish at the Pan American Junior Championships in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the CIS Nationals capped an outstanding university career for fifth-year Blues defender Kaelan Watson. The McRoberts graduate was chosen Toronto's MVP in the championship game, her final award of another decorated season. Earlier in the week, Watson was named a First Team All-Canadian for the fourth time in her career. She was a Second Team All-Canadian in her freshman season and has been a Ontario University Athletics all-star all five years.
In 2010, the Physical Education major led the Blues to the national title, earning tournament MVP honours.
University Notes...
Rachel Ramsden's goals three minutes into the match stood up as the game winner as the UBC women's soccer team closed out its season with a 1-0 win over the University of Regina at the Canada West Championships in Langley.
The McRoberts graduate finished off a feed from Taylor Shannik in what was the final game of her university career.
UBC's hopes of advancing to this week's CIS National Championships in Victoria ended a day earlier with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in penalty kicks to Victoria.
UBC's starting 11 this season featured three players from Richmond with Taryn Lim and Sydney Morrison joining Ramsden.
