Danielle Husar Named to the Canadian Junior National Team
VANCOUVER, Canada – Virginia field hockey rising junior Danielle Husar (Mississauga, Canada.) has been named to the Junior Women’s National Team that will represent Canada at the 2021 Junior Pan American Cup in Santiago, Chile in August. Following a week-long selection camp, the coaching staff has selected 16 rostered athletes and three goalies.
Husar, who plays midfield for the Cavaliers, will be a striker for Team Canada. She is a veteran of international competition winning a bronze medal in Dublin, Ireland in 2019 with the Canada U21 team at the 4 Nations Tournament, and also played in a test series with the U23 team in China that same year.
The original U21 Pan Am Cup was scheduled for 2020 but will now take place in August 2021. The age restrictions shifted to recognize the postponement of the tournament. Anyone born in 1999 or later will be eligible to compete in the Junior Pan American Cup but only those born in 2000 or later are eligible to compete in the Junior World Cup.
The team will be led by Head Coach and NextGen Director Patrick Tshutshani. For him, last month’s camp was a chance to get everyone ‘under the same roof’ and work to build out the program prior to selection.
“The camp presented the opportunity to reconnect, and the athletes thrived on being able to compete amongst their peers,” Tshutshani said. “For the staff group, opportunities like these are priceless as we get to see each individual showcasing their ability and performing within a team environment in a live setting.”
The Junior Pan American Cup will take place from August 21-29, 2021 with the top three teams qualifying for the Junior World Cup, set for December in South Africa. Team Canada hasn’t qualified for the Junior World Cup since 2013, when they placed fourteenth. Notably, Canada will come up against reigning junior world champion, Argentina; North American rivals, USA; and Chile, the host of the upcoming 2023 Junior World Cup. For Tshutshani, the outcome goals are clear, but from this point on, it’s about building the team that can compete for a medal and a berth to the World Cup.
“There is no greater feeling than playing for your country and giving it your all,” Tshutshani said. “The next step for us as a group is to continue training as group and develop the on-field and off-field connections.”
Team Canada will be centralized training in Vancouver, leading up to the Junior Pan Ams. They kick start their JPAC campaign against reigning champs, Argentina on August 22. Click HERE for schedule and more information.