MacDougall plays quiet but important role for UPEI field hockey team

For Ella MacDougall, success is registered in team growth and not personal statistics.

MacDougall plays defence for the UPEI women’s field hockey team, which is hosting the Atlantic Field Hockey League championship tournament at the UPEI turf field in Charlottetown on Oct. 24 and 25.

Defence is a position that comes with very little fame or glamour. But, at the same time, defensive players play important roles and their contributions cannot be overlooked.

“It definitely can fly under the radar, but it is an important position,” MacDougall told The Guardian in a phone interview. “We’re lucky to have really good forwards and midfielders, so it kind of takes a lot of pressure off our defence.

“But there are times where we do have to step up and play with confidence under pressure.”

UPEI head coach Lacey MacLauchlan said MacDougall, in her fourth year with the Panthers, is an important part of the team.

“She would be part of our leadership group, and she is a hard worker and a very caring individual,” said MacLauchlan. “She definitely leads by example, on and off the field.”

MacDougall, from Stratford, P.E.I., is quick to praise the play and contributions of fellow defensive line players, Charlotte Thompson and Sophie Crabbe. MacDougall said UPEI’s defensive players take great pride in quietly and effectively going about their business.

“We’re not out there scoring goals, but our forwards are really, really good at doing that, so we just like to help out whenever we can and lock it down on defence whenever we have to,” said MacDougall, who is studying in the UPEI nursing program.

MacDougall explained the main priorities of UPEI’s defence are to stop the opposition from generating scoring opportunities and moving the ball up the field to the midfielders and forwards.

“We’ve been working a lot on transferring it to the back; swinging it around our D and using all three of us, which can be a little risky if you’re under pressure,” said MacDougall. “But we’ve been really trying to practise doing that under pressure because it’s a good way to get out of one side to change the point of attack.”

MacLauchlan said regardless of whether the Panthers are in possession of the ball or not, the role of the defence cannot be undersold.

“When we have possession of the ball, it’s really maintaining the structure and transferring the point of attack and trying to ensure that our ball speed is high and that we can attack with space and they allow for that to happen,” explained MacLauchlan.

MacDougall and the Panthers’ attention is on this weekend. UPEI completed the regular season undefeated at 12-0 (won-lost) and enters the championship tournament as the No. 1 seed.

As a result, the Panthers have earned a bye into the semifinals and will play on Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. against the winner of the Saint Mary’s-St. Francis Xavier quarter-final game earlier in the day.

“We’re just really looking to keep playing our game as we have all season as it’s worked for us,” said MacDougall. “Although we know the other teams, they’ve improved a lot, even just from the start of the season.

“So, we know we’re going to have to work really hard and earn it, but we’re just hoping to put what we’ve been practising into play and hopefully end off on a good note.”

The Panthers are seeking to win their fifth conference title in a row and have experience playing in big games and pressure-filled situations.

“We’ve been working really hard over the last couple months, and I think this weekend it’ll be important that we bring everything together,” said MacLauchlan. “At the end of the day, it always comes down to what team wants it more.

“It’s important that we show up with intensity and with effort and the team is well aware of that. We have to work for it. Everything is earned, not given, so we still have a lot of work to do this weekend.”

The championship game is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 1:45 p.m. Play begins at noon on Oct. 24.

(All games at UPEI turf field in Charlottetown)

Oct. 24

• Noon – St. Francis Xavier vs. Saint Mary’s.
• 1:30 p.m. – UNB vs. Acadia.
• 4 p.m. – UPEI vs. winner of St. F.X.-Saint Mary’s game.
• 6:15 p.m. – Dalhousie vs. winner of UNB-Acadia game.

Oct. 25

• 8 a.m. – Mount Allison vs. Loser of UNB-Acadia game.
• 9:45 a.m. – Bronze-medal game.
• Noon – Loser of 8 a.m. game vs. loser of St. F.X.-Saint Mary’s game.
• 1:45 p.m. Gold-medal game.

Jason Simmonds is a sports reporter at The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at jsimmonds@postmedia.com and followed on X @JpsportsJason.