Cool, drizzly weather and crowds whose allegiances are sometimes split down the middle are not a worry for Tsawwassen’s Mark Pearson.

He and the rest of Canada’s men’s field hockey team—including Canadian veterans Peter and Rob Short who are also from Tsawwassen—have been enjoying a series of seven games against a talented team from India as the sides embark on the 7 Test Super Series which is serving as long-term preparation for the World Cup of Field Hockey next March in India.

“It’s funny. It’s sometimes like playing an away game when you’re in your own country. But it all adds to the atmosphere,” says Pearson, 22, who has seen duty in all of Canada’s games in Victoria and in Surrey where about 3,000 fans turned up to watch the action Sunday (Oct. 18) when Canada lost game number five in the series by a score of 3-1.

“When you see that many people come out to a game, it’s really gratifying because when I earned my first cap for Canada (in 2005) it was against Scotland at UBC and there must have been a crowd of only 200 to 250 people who came out to watch.”

India is ranked 11th in the world, with Canada right behind in 12th spot, making for some pretty evenly matched games.

India took the first game 2-0 at the University of Victoria on Oct. 9 and then edged the Maple leaf-wearing home side 4-3 in the second encounter.

The series then shifted to Surrey and the field hockey pitch at Tamanawis Secondary school where Pearson’s pair of goals late in the match helped secure a 4-4 tie.

“That was probably the most exciting game I’ve played for Canada in a while,” says Pearson who is currently on leave from his professional club in Hamburg, Germany so he can add to the 50-plus caps the forward/midfielder has amassed representing Canada.

In games four and five, Canada still had not found a way to beat their rivals, losing 2-0 and 3-1.

The final two games go Oct. 22—after the Leader’s deadline—and Oct. 24, 2 p.m., both at Tamanawis Secondary.

Pearson admits it is odd to play one team so many times in a row.

“But it develops an NHL-type rivalry with a team, and that’s a good thing, especially when we will be going to India in March,” he says.

In addition to racking up the his number of appearances for Canada, Pearson will be adding plenty of air miles as at the conclusion of the series against India he will be returning to Germany, then coming back to play in a five-game series against the U.S. Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 in Vancouver.

“And by January we will be picking our team for the World Cup which is going to be a very exciting experience,” Pearson says.

For more on the 7 Test Super Series, visit www.7testsuperseries.ca.

editor@southdeltaleader.com