With more than 250 international caps between them, and are two of the unmistakable faces of Canada鈥檚 program.
The 91大黄鸭 products and KSS grads played their customary key roles once again this month, in Canada鈥檚 history-making fifth-place showing at the Commonwealth Games on Australia鈥檚 Gold Coast.
It was Canada鈥檚 best ever placing at the games. Still, Hennig, Sourisseau and their teammates were left wanting a little bit more.
A tight 1-0 loss to Australia and a 0-0 draw with New Zealand in pool play had Canada going toe-to-toe with the eventual silver and gold medalists.
鈥淲e would have liked to have done better, but we鈥檙e still pretty happy,鈥� said Hennig, 27. 鈥淲e were definitely shooting for the top four, even a medal, we felt going in that we had a shot at it.
鈥淭hose two games, against New Zealand and Australia, they were both within our grasp. It鈥檚 too bad, but we still can walk away knowing we had a good performance.鈥�
Sourisseau, who scored once in a 3-1 win over South Africa to clinch fifth place, said the Commonwealth Games didn鈥檛 provide the desired result but perhaps served as glimpse of what鈥檚 to come for the Canadian women.
鈥淒espite it being our best finish ever, I got the feeling that the team as a whole was left a little bit unsatisfied,鈥� said Sourisseau. 鈥淲hile we played some great games, we were so close to being able to make a semi-final and I could feel that we were hungry to do better.
鈥淭hat attitude and outlook is exciting to me and is something that I think will fuel us as a team as we move forward.鈥�
Hennig, who has 151 career caps鈥攖he sixth most in the history of Canadian women鈥檚 program鈥攊s in her eighth year with the national team. Sourisseau, 25, now at 109 caps, made her international debut with Canada in 2011.
As teammates, their finest moment came in 2015 when Canada won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto.
The program had a disappointing World League performance in 2016-17, but with the hiring of new coach Giles Bonnet this year, the Canadian women are back on an upward trend in 2018.
In January, Canada won a head-to-head series against Chile, then executed a rare defeat of the U.S. in a four-game set in February.
Hennig likes the where the program is headed in 2018 and beyond.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been some progression, I鈥檇 say we鈥檙e on an upward trajectory right now,鈥� said Hennig, one of the co-captains on the Canadian team. 鈥淚 think (Giles鈥�) style of coaching fits our personnel, our technical game is at the level where we can compete with any team. It鈥檚 a more aggressive approach and seems to be working for us.鈥�
With plenty of potential on the world鈥檚 11th-ranked Canadian team and a blend of experience and youth, neither Hennig nor Sourisseau have any plans to go anywhere, particularly with the next Olympic Games in Tokyo just two years away.
Hennig and Sourisseau鈥攂oth former national teammates of 91大黄鸭鈥檚 Abi Raye鈥攈ave been through the Olympic cycle twice, only to be disappointed both times.
Sourisseau said the prospects of making it to Japan in 2020 is one of many reasons she continues to have a passion for the game.
鈥淎s a program we are aiming to qualify for Tokyo and while this is ambitious, I believe we have the potential to do so, especially under our new coach,鈥� said Sourisseau, who goes to university and plays professionally in Holland. 鈥淎nd while the Olympics are a motivator, they are not the only reason I play for Canada as there is absolutely no guarantee that it will happen.
鈥淚n my time on the team I have already been through two cycles where we believed we could, but then failed to qualify,鈥� she added. 鈥淭he extreme frustration and pain experienced throughout those experiences is also a huge motivator for me as I continue to play.鈥�
Sourisseau, Hennig and their Canadian teammates will begin their journey towards Olympic qualification at the Hockey Series Open, a five-team event in Salamanca, Mexico from June 5 to 10.
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