Two Cowichan Valley field hockey players participated in the 2025 Cal Cup Tournament in California last month. Kaila Luff and Aurelia Audenart represented the U14 Vancouver Polar Bears and they led the team in scoring, with Luff scoring seven goals and Audenart scoring five.
Luff opened the tournament with a goal off a stroke and followed up with another in the same game. Audenart added two more in that match, leading to a decisive 4-0 first-game win for the Polar Bears.
The team finished second in their pool with three wins and one loss and ultimately placed sixth of 16 teams after a tight battle in the fifth-place match that ended in strokes.
Luff and Audenart demonstrated leadership and teamwork throughout the tournament. They were each named game captain and earned MVP honours in separate matches.
To fund their trip, the girls organized a bottle drive and did jobs to raise money. They also thanked Dr. Ryan Audenart Dental Corp for their sponsorship.
"It was a great experience, and we made new friends," said the duo. They added that they were warmly welcomed into the Vancouver-based squad and grateful for the sportsmanship and kindness shown by their new teammates.
The Cal Cup is a major California-based, multi-age-group field hockey tournament that attracts teams mostly from California, but also as far away as Florida and, of course, B.C. The event is generally recognized as the last big event of spring competition for most of the U14 teams.
