For over 40 years the University of Toronto has been central to the growth of field hockey as a Canadian university sport. Since the early 1960s, field hockey has flourished and the U of T Varsity Blues have created a tradition of excellence and achievement at both the provincial and national levels.
The foundations were laid early, when the Varsity Blues captured their first Ontario-Quebec university field hockey championship in 1963. The Varsity Blues are also the leaders in “firsts”, winning the inaugural OWIAA outdoor title in 1971, capturing the inaugural national (then CIAU) outdoor championship in 1975 and claiming the first Ontario indoor hockey banner in 1985. U of T women’s field hockey also had an incredible run from 1963 to 1979, going an amazing 17 season without a single loss in league play.
Liz Hoffman continued the emerging dynasty in 1974, coaching the Blues for the next 20 seasons and retiring in 1994 to become U of T’s Director of Athletics. Under her guidance, the team won 15 Ontario league titles and eight national championships.
Following Hoffman’s retirement, current Blues Athletic Director Beth Ali took the reins and soon posted three consecutive undefeated regular seasons (1995-1997). The winning streak has continued, with the Varsity Blues claiming 11 of the past 17 OUA championships since 1997. At the national level, Ali captured a national crown in 1996, a silver medal in 2000 and six bronze medals (1995, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006) before retiring at the end of the 2006-07 season.
Carrying on this successful coaching tradition is John De Souza, Blues assistant coach for 18 years. A provincial player for 13 years and a national team player for seven years, De Souza coached the national indoor field hockey team in 2007, was the assistant coach of the Canadian national team that won gold at the 2007 PanAm Games and represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
All-Time Game Results
| Season |
Regular Season |
Playoffs |
Coach |
Championship Won |
|
W |
L |
T |
Standing |
W |
L |
T |
|
|
| 2023 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
2nd East |
3 |
2 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
OUA |
| 2022 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
1st East |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
|
| 2021 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
1st East |
3 |
2 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
OUA |
| 2020 |
No Season - COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2019 |
9 |
1 |
2 |
2nd |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
|
| 2018 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
2nd |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
|
| 2017 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
3rd |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Cassius Mendonca |
|
| 2016 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
1st |
5 |
1 |
1 |
John DeSouza |
OUA |
| 2015 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
2nd |
3 |
2 |
1 |
John DeSouza |
OUA |
| 2014 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
5 |
1 |
0 |
John DeSouza |
OUA |
| 2013 |
11 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
1 |
1 |
0 |
John DeSouza |
|
| 2012 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
4 |
2 |
1 |
John DeSouza |
OUA |
| 2011 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
1st |
4 |
3 |
0 |
John DeSouza |
OUA |
| 2010 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
2nd |
6 |
1 |
0 |
John De Souza |
CIS |
| 2009 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
2 |
4 |
0 |
John De Souza |
|
| 2008 |
12 |
0 |
2 |
1st |
2 |
0 |
0 |
John De Souza |
OUA |
| 2007 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
1st |
1 |
1 |
0 |
John De Souza |
CIS |
| 2006 |
12 |
0 |
2 |
1st |
3 |
2 |
2 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 2005 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
2nd |
4 |
2 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 2004 |
13 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
4 |
2 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 2003 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
1st |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Beth Ali |
|
| 2002 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
1st Central |
2 |
3 |
1 |
Beth Ali |
|
| 2001 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
1st Central |
3 |
3 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 2000 |
11 |
0 |
1 |
1st West |
5 |
1 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 1999 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
1st West |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 1998 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
4 |
1 |
1 |
John De Souza |
OUA |
| 1997 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
5 |
1 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
OUA |
| 1996 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
5 |
1 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
CIAU |
| 1995 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Beth Ali |
|
| 1994 |
14 |
2 |
0 |
2nd |
3 |
3 |
0 |
Beth Ali |
|
| 1993 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
4 |
1 |
1 |
Liz Hoffman |
CIAU |
| 1992 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
3 |
1 |
2 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1991 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
5 |
2 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1990 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
2nd |
4 |
3 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
|
| 1989 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2nd West |
4 |
3 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1988 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
2nd West |
7 |
0 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CIAU |
| 1987 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
1st West |
6 |
1 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1986 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
1st West |
6 |
0 |
1 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CIAU |
| 1985 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
1st West |
6 |
0 |
1 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CIAU |
| 1984 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
1st West |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
|
| 1983 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
1st West |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1982 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
1st Tier 1 |
* |
* |
* |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1981 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
1st Tier 1 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
Liz Hoffman |
CIAU |
| 1980 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
2nd |
2 |
4 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
|
| 1979 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
6 |
1 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CIAU |
| 1978 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
* |
* |
* |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1977 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
* |
* |
* |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CWIAU |
| 1976 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
1st |
3 |
1 |
1 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1975 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
4 |
1 |
0 |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA, CWIAU |
| 1974 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Liz Hoffman |
OWIAA |
| 1973 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Nancy Gossling |
OWIAA |
| 1972 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Nancy Gossling |
OWIAA |
| 1971 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Nancy Gossling |
OWIAA |
| 1970 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1969 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1968 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Joan Flanigan |
WITCA |
| 1967 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1966 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
T-1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1965 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
T-1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1964 |
* |
* |
* |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
| 1963 |
* |
* |
* |
1st |
- |
- |
- |
Marina van der Merwe |
WITCA |
