UPEI Field Hockey team to compete in U SPORTS National Invitational Championship in 2024
UPEI Athletics and Recreation is pleased to announce that its field hockey team will now have the opportunity to compete in the Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS National Invitational Championship.
“We’re excited to see our team compete at the national level and showcase the talent we have at UPEI,” said Jane Vessey, UPEI’s Director of Athletics and Recreation. “It’s truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.”
U SPORTS and Field Hockey Canada have reclassified the sport under the new U SPORTS Sport Model Program as a Partnership Sport (P2), defined as an invitational championship that does not require conference approval but must meet minimum member participation, include regional representation, and adhere to specific competitive standards.
This allows universities in Atlantic Canada, where there is no Atlantic University Sport (AUS) field hockey offering, to pursue a national championship. Each university had until May 15 to declare their intention with U SPORTS.
Universities in Atlantic Canada that declared interest will compete for a spot in the national championship this fall. For the 2024 championship, UPEI was the only university from the region to declare.
Long-time UPEI Field Hockey manager Barb Carmichael expressed her excitement about the program’s opportunity to compete at the highest level for the first time since 2015.
“After nine years of hard work, I am extremely happy to finally reach this goal. To see it all come together and then supported by UPEI is a dream come true,” Carmichael said.
Head coach Lacey MacLauchlan echoed Carmichael’s sentiments, saying that she understands what this opportunity means for the program and the student-athletes representing UPEI.
“There's been a lot of work to get to this point, and we’re thrilled to finally be back in U SPORTS,” she said. “We see this as an opportunity to compete and represent the University on the national stage.”
Now that the paperwork and logistics have been finalized, MacLauchlan is focused on bringing a national title home.
“Our primary goal remains the same: to win. As a team, we’ve discussed the need to ‘level up’ with this new opportunity to compete at nationals. Everything we do must be elevated—from strength and conditioning to technical and tactical skills, and even our daily habits. Everything must be approached with greater intention and focus. We look forward to the challenge.”
The UPEI team will continue as a competitive club in the Atlantic University Field Hockey (AUFH) League, where it is the two-time defending champion.
