Field Hockey: Report card time

By Kris Kotarski

Talent: C+

Good, but we’re gonna use the Bell curve on this one and unfortunately the Dinos were stuck right in the middle. It’s hard when you have suck-ups bringing the class average up, and the Dinos down.

The Dinos finished off the season with a 5-5-2 record. That may seem about as good as kissing your sister, but taking into account the level of competition in the Canada West conference, the Dinos actually kicked some ass. They finished the year ranked eighth in the country but they didn’t make the playoffs. They did however, field a good squad, one which included the eventual conference MVP. Not as good as the other Canada West teams though.

Performance: B-

Pretty good, but not excellent enough to see the post season.

There is no love lost between the Dinos and their conference rivals. Calgary has traditionally been whupped by Alberta, Victoria and UBC. Not this year though. At least not half the time anyway. The Dinos held their own thanks to a great year from Canada West MVP. Teresa McLachlan and her teammates.

Effort: B+

Carrying a stick for the duration of a field hockey game is no easy feat. Especially when opposing players hack at your mostly unprotected shins.

Coaching: B+

The team had a rough start to the season but they never gave up. They peaked at the end of the season when they beat UBC and Alberta at their third tournament of the year. It was impressive, but it was too little, too late. It was nice however, that the Dinos kept their focus and came through at the end of the season instead of folding like a tent.

Overall: B-

Not bad, not great. The future looks cloudy, but not in a bad sense. We don’t know which way this team will go, but we’re curious to find out.

All in all, it was a good year for the squad, the best Dinos’ fans have seen in a while. They were either really good or very average, but they did improve over previous results. McLachlan’s MVP effort was a bright spot, but this season was her swan song and the team will have to do without next year.

Food this team reminds me of: Haggis. A bloody mess sometimes, but good when it counts.