P.E.I. field hockey goes co-ed

Traditionally, field hockey has been an all-female sport on Prince Edward Island, but a pair of former UPEI players wants to change that. They've started a new co-ed leaguegiving men a chance to try out the sport.

Eliza Maclauchlan and Ellen Dixon are the organizers of thenew co-ed field hockey league. Both started playing the game in Grade 7, and played for the UPEI Panthers.

Dixon laterexperiencedco-ed field hockey whileattending university in Halifax. It was also her first taste of indoor field hockey.

"It was completely intimidating but completely exhilarating at the same time," recalled Dixon. "It was very frustrating at first because the rules were different and a lot of whistles came my way."

Dixon says the Halifax indoor league has between 7 and 9 teams that play on a weekly basis, with a regular season and playoffs.Her team was mostly men.

"They were just so fast and so talented," she laughed. "It was really intimidating because they play very aggressively, still in a clean manner, but it's just such a stronger game.

"Maybe not quite as much finesse," observed Dixon. "But a little bit more brute force."

Dixon also liked the idea of being able to play field hockey year-round.

"I wanted to bring that back here," explained Dixon. "Being able to play12 months out of the year is so different from here on P.E.I. where we get a season of about twomonths."

Dixon approached Field Hockey PEIwith the idea of an indoor league. MacLauchlan was instantly on board.

"Once you're finished university, there is really no other option to play," explained Maclauchlan.

Their new league has attracted about 25 players since it started in January.Close to a dozen guys, of all ages, have come out to give the game a shot, including Rob MacLellan, whose daughter Abbey plays field hockey at Northeastern University in Boston and is member of the Canadian junior team.

"My wife and I decided why not?" said MacLellan. "She was pretty excited to know that we were going to try to do what she does. I think she's following our progress. We're slowly learning the ropes."

"Like most guys on P.E.I., I grew up playing ice hockey so the rules are quite a bit different but there's a lot of similarities too."

"It is a little harder on my 50-year old knees," joked MacLellan. "And I don't have the wind that I used to have."

Jacques Hach, from New Brunswick, is also giving the game a try.

"Basically I just wanted to try something new and another challenge for me," said Hach.

Hach saidadjusting to stick-handling on the back hand side and the size of the stick were the biggest challenges.

"It's nice to play co-ed sports, it's a different energy," he added. "It's pretty fun to play with these small sticks. I love it."

The goal for next year is to have more organized teams and a championship at the end of the season. Most of the players are planning to head outside when the snow melts on the turf. If there is enough interest, therecould even bea senior co-ed league.

And someday, organizerssay, field hockey could even show up at Island schools.

"I think by introducing men into the sport at a higher level, it can also have a trickle-down effect and then maybe we can actually have it at the schools and boys can play," said Maclauchlan.