Dowthwaite, Pyrtek to Compete in the EuroHockey Junior Championships
7/10/2019 9:10:00 AM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior Meg Dowthwaite and incoming freshman Sarah Pyrtek will represent England and France, respectively, at the 2019 EuroHockey Junior Championships, slated for July 13-21, in Valencia, Spain. Founded in 1976 by the European Hockey Federation (EHF), the tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2021 Men's and Women's Junior World Cups.
Nine countries comprise the women's field and are split into two pools with a round-robin format. The top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals and medal matches. Pool A features France, Ireland, Netherlands, Russia and Spain, while Pool B includes England, Belarus, Belgium and Germany.
The French U21 team opens against Spain at 6 a.m. EDT on Saturday, July 13, before facing the Netherlands at 11:45 a.m. EDT on July 14 and Ireland at 6 a.m. EDT on July 18. The English squad will play Belgium at 9:30 a.m. EDT on July 15, Germany at 11:45 a.m. EDT on July 16 and Belarus at 3 a.m. EDT on July 18. For more information and live streaming of the games, visit EuroHockey.org or the tournament page through the FIH website.
Dowthwaite, a 2017 NFHCA All-American and two-time All-Great Lakes Region honoree, has been one of the Wolverines' top offensive threats over her three collegiate seasons and enters her senior season with 34 goals, including 14 game-winners, as well as 17 assists and 85 points. A native of Weybridge, England, she has long been involved with England's national teams and, in 2016, contributed to a U18 bronze medal at the European Championships.
Pyrtek, who will join the Wolverines this fall by way of Paris, France, also has several years of experience with the French national teams, most recently serving as captain of the U18 squad that competed at the 2018 EuroHockey Youth Championship. Originally from Bonn, Germany, she has also played with the Saint Germaine en Laye Hockey Club outside of Paris over the past seven years.
The Wolverines will kick off the 2019 campaign by hosting the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, at Phyllis Ocker Field. Michigan will square off against defending NCAA champion North Carolina at 6 p.m. on Friday before facing Wake Forest at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
