Andrew Kanerva

Andrew Kanerva, a grade twelve student at South Delta Secondary School, excels in field hockey. His rapid rise into an elite athlete included a change in position from defender to forward to better utilize his strengths. Andrew is now considered one of the top up and coming players in Canada.

Andrew helped B. C. win the U16 nationals in 2009, which led to him being selected to the Canadian 2010 Men’s U17 Pan American Youth Championship team. This team placed fourth at this first ever Youth Pan Am Championship. Since his first international appearance in 2010 in Hermosillo, Mexico, Andrew has been a member of the Junior National team.

Andrew started playing field hockey for the Tsawwassen Falcons. In the summer of 2011 Andrew joined the Burnaby Lake Field Hockey Club in the Premier “A” Division which provided him with the opportunity to play with and against more experienced players and teammates from the Junior National team. In the summer of 2011, Andrew was among thirty young players selected to attend a three week evaluation camp for the Junior National team. Andrew was selected to the team and in July 2011 played in a five-game test series against the Chilean U21 men, followed by an exhibition series against Mexico, Chile and the United States. Andrew played his best hockey in the last game of the three country series scoring twice in a 3 – 1 series finale win over the United States. Andrew and the Junior National team then completed in a four-match test series against the American U-21 Jr. National team in Dec. 2011 and finished the series with a record of three wins and a tie.

In March 2012, Andrew and the Junior Men’s field hockey team completed a successful South American tour. Winning this three nation tournament established the Canadian Junior team on the world stage. Andrew was a strong player on the front line scoring six goals in the tournament as Canada finished with an 8 – 1 record. This tour provided the team with international experience as they prepare for the Junior Pan American Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico in September 2012, which is a qualifying tournament for the 2013 Junior World Cup.

After graduating from South Delta in June, Andrew will be attending the University of British Columbia to study Kinesiology. Andrew’s goals include solidifying his national team status even further with the hopes to playing in the Olympics in the future.