Wolf Pack headed to Santiago after South Africa tune up
Field Hockey Canada is excited to announce the Women’s National Team roster, bound for Santiago, for the World Cup Qualifier, March 1-8. This is one of two World Cup Qualifiers that is taking place in women’s hockey. From this event, there are multiple avenues for qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium & Netherlands. The two teams that make the finals will automatically qualify as will the winner of the bronze medal. After that, the highest world ranked 4th place team (between the two qualifying events) after the final day of the qualifiers, will also qualify for the World Cup. Canada is coming off a historic World Cup qualification in 2022, when the team played in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. They are looking to reach the podium next month in Chile and secure a back-to-back qualification.
Team Canada is fresh back from South Africa where the team played in five test matches against the South African National Team.The World Cup Qualifier roster comes off the back of a successful training tour and evaluation period. The team lost three matches, and drew two against South Africa, the 20th ranked country in the world. They also took on some local club sides in exhibition matches during their tour. This prepares the team nicely to go into the World Cup Qualifiers in early March with game reps under their belts only six weeks prior.
Canada (22) will face Japan (12), Ireland (13) and Malaysia (21) in their pool in Santiago, with their opening match against Japan. The other pool features Australia (6), Chile (15), France (17), and Switzerland (38). Canada must make the semifinals if they want to have a shot at making the World Cup.
Canada is ranked 22 in the world and looking to punch their ticket to the World Cup in March in Santiago.
Notably, five of Team Canada’s rostered players got their first cap during the official test series with South Africa in January. Goalkeeper, Camilla MacGillivray, Katie Gibb, Rebecca Carvalho, Laine Delmotte, and Rylie Novak all saw the senior international field for the first time in their young careers. For Gibb, Novak, they come off recent Junior Pan Ams and World Cup experiences. Both MacGillivray and Carvalho have recent Indoor National Team experience to draw on.
That young core is bolstered by other recent junior graduates such as Allison Kuzyk, Libby Hogg and Nicole Poulakis. Poulakis, with only nine senior caps has already shown herself to be an attacking threat, scoring a hat trick in her first senior international match at the 2025 Pan American Cup.
Team Canada is a young team across the board. The team’s average cap-count is 24, but with the Canadian youth and junior pathway, athletes come into the senior environment with upwards of 20 international matches under their belt. Victoria’s Anna Mollenhauer is the Wolf Pack’s top cap earner, with 67 to her name. The veteran group of Mollenhauer, Jordyn Faiczak, Thora Rae and team captain Elise Wong along with goalkeeper Marcia LaPlante will lead this young group to the World Cup Qualifiers. LaPlante and MacGillivray will play tandem in net for Team Canada.
The rising core group of this Wolf Pack team includes Nora Goddard-Despot, Chloe Walton, Mikayla Stelling, Brooke McCusker, Julia Ross, Dani Husar and Kenzie Girgis. Most of this group has played in the last two Pan American tournaments as well as Nations Cup, and will lean on that recent experience at major tournaments next month in Chile. Walton and Goddard-Despot have played this season with KMTHC Belgium, adding some international club experience to their quiver. This core group will be driving the pace at both ends of the pitch and making the jump from upstart young players to established stars on the Pan American and international stage.
Team Canada kicks off the World Cup Qualifier on March 2 vs Japan. You can tune in all week long on FIH Watch Hockey and support Team Canada by following Field Hockey Canada’s social channels and website updates.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER – WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
NO.PLAYER NAMEPOSITIONHOMETOWNCLUBCAPS
14Rebecca CarvalhoBrampton ON,MIDToronto Titans5
27Laine DelmotteNorth Vancouver, BCMIDWest Vancouver4
9Jordyn FaiczakWaterloo, ONFWDSea to Sky56
24Katherine GibbVancouver, BCDEFVancouver Hawks5
11Kenzie GirgisOttawa, ONMIDUBC Thunderbirds32
21Nora Goddard-DespotNorth Vancouver, BCFWDK.M.T.H.C Belgium21
20Libby HoggVictoria, BCDEFUVIC Vikes9
22Danielle HusarMississauga, ONFWDPolar Bears26
23Allison KuzykVancouver, BCFWDMeralomas9
34Marcia LaPlanteWaasis, NBGKSea to Sky27
1Camilla MacGillivrayCalgary, ABGK2
5Brooke McCuskerNorth Vancouver, BCMIDWest Vancouver21
7Anna MollenhauerVictoria, BCDEFBowdon Hockey Club67
16Rylie NovakVancouver, BCDEFVancouver Hawks5
2Nicole PoulakisAjax, ONMIDDolphins Hockey Club9
3Thora RaeVancouver, BCFWDVancouver Hawks45
4Julia RossVancouver, BCFWDVancouver Hawks17
17Mikayla StellingVancouver, BCFWDUBC Thunderbirds22
10Chloe WaltonNorth Vancouver, BCFWDK.M.T.H.C Belgium34
8Elise WongVancouver, BCDEFVancouver Hawks63
STAFF NAMEROLE
Sheldon RostronHead Coach
Shaun HulleyAssistant Coach
Niels BakkerAssistant Coach
Chantal CampbellTeam Manager
Dave CoxVideo Analyst
Daniela HoolaeffAthletic Therapist
DONATE TO THE WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM AND SUPPORT THEIR JOURNEY
Field Hockey Canada recently announced a recent donation of $375,000 that launched our new Power the Podium Trust Fund, a long-term philanthropic initiative designed to provide sustainable funding for Canada’s national field hockey teams. You can donate to the Power of the Podium Trust or learn more about additional donation options that also go directly to supporting our national team programs. Since our national team programs are largely dependent on funding sources from the government, sponsors and donors, as well as self-funded team levies, we focus time not only on our training efforts but fundraising to help offset the costs required to adequately participate and prepare for our competitions.