Four of Victoria’s top young field hockey players are headed to Paraguay – and they aren’t going as tourists.
Maia Lawrence, Maddie Hunter, Rebecca Stone and Sawyer Ross have all landed spots on Canada’s junior national rosters for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, running Aug. 10-19 at the National Hockey Centre in Luque.
It’s the first time field hockey has been included in the Games, and Victoria will be right in the thick of it.
Lawrence, a gritty defender and recent Oak Bay High grad, got the news and immediately picked up the phone.
"I was very excited and called my family right away. They're a big support and one of the main reasons I can keep competing how I want to, so it was really exciting to share this with them," Lawrence said.
The road to the red and white wasn’t smooth. A tough start to the year tested her patience, but things shifted in March at the Junior National Selection Camp.
“I’d been working hard to improve my game and had so much fun playing,” she said. “That camp really showed me that I could hit my goals – and that the work is worth it.”
Lawrence won’t be heading to South America alone.
Hunter and Stone – both now playing for the UVic Vikes – round out the Victoria trio on the junior women’s squad.
The trio won gold at the 2023 Field Hockey Nationals for Team BC.
"It's going to be so cool to go compete internationally with these girls whom I have trained with for many years," Lawrence said. "We have a lot of pride representing our Victoria field hockey community and it's extra special to do that together."
Stone graduated from St. Michaels University School (SMUS) in 2023, while Hunter and Lawrence came through Oak Bay High one year apart. The three have played alongside each other at nearly every level – school, club, provincial, and now international.
The women’s team opens their tournament on Aug.11 against host Paraguay, then faces Argentina on Aug.13 before wrapping up group play against Uruguay on Aug. 15.
Meanwhile, Sawyer Ross, a midfielder and Lambrick Park Secondary graduate now playing at UBC, cracked the men’s roster after a standout spring.
The Canadian men will meet Mexico on Aug. 10, Chile on Aug. 12, and conclude their group stage campaign against Trinidad and Tobago on Aug. 14.
With centralized training in Vancouver wrapped up, the group is scattered back across the country for a quick reset before flying out later this week.
"I really want to soak up this experience and have a lot of fun," Lawrence said. "For myself, I’m trying to trust the training the team and I have put in, have fun and be confident in my skills and abilities."
It’s a long way from Victoria to Paraguay, but for these four, it’s a trip that’s been years in the making.
