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| United States
Field Hockey Association About US Events & Results Club Teams
© 2000
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National Indoor Tournament to Open in Lancaster, Downingtown Basketball may have its "March
Madness," but for field hockey players there is nothing like a little "Indoor
Insanity" to welcome the warmer weather. Lancaster and Downingtown residents can
expect a little of this insantiy this month when the U.S. Field Hockey
Association brings its National Indoor Tournament to Franklin & Marshall College in
Lancaster and the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown for the second consecutive
year. The tournament gets underway March 4-5
with the Under-16 and Under-19 age group tournament at Franklin & Marshall, followed
by the Under-14 and Adult Open tournaments, March 25-26 in Downingtown. Approximately 1000
athletes from 100 teams will take part in the event. Initiated in 1980, the National Indoor
Tournament is U.S. Field Hockey's premier off-season. Teams qualified for the National
Indoor in the Under-19 and Under-16 Divisions as the result of pool championships in 1999
or through top finishes at qualifying tournaments held earlier in the year. The Under-19
group is divided into five pools in three Divisions: The Premier Division (Pools A &
B) with last year's champions and qualifying tournament winners, Division A (Pools C &
D) featuring pool winners from '99 plus qualifying tournament teams and qualifier
runners-up and Division B featuring the third place teams from the qualifying tournaments.
The Under-16 Division features 24 teams in three pools selected as a result of
championship performances in 1999 and qualifying tournament placing. The Under-19 and Under-16 fields
feature teams from nine states including Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Pennsylvania is
represented by 21 teams including U19 squads Barracudas and Barracudas Too (Hummelstown),
Dostovies (Selinsgrove), LBC Oley (Oley), Marojoka Blue and Marojoka Green,
(Allentown-Bethlehem), High Styx (Reading), Mid State (Palmyra), Firestyx (Emmaus,
Boyertown), Benton, Boyerburg Baboons (Boyertown) and Blue Angels (Middleberg).
Pennsylvania teams in the Under-16 Division include High Styx Jr. (Reading), Hotstyx
(Emmaus), Marojoka (Allentown), Valley Styx (Mountaintop), Barracudas Jr (Hummelstown),
Benton, Wizards (Fleetwood), Pythons (Middlesburg) and Mid State (Palmyra). “We are all very excited about
returning to Lancaster and Downingtown for this year's National Indoor Tournament,”
says U.S. Field Hockey's Tournament chair Sally Scarborough. “Franklin & Marshall
and the United Sports Center were wonderful host venues last year, and we're looking
forward to equally exciting tournaments in 2000." Rosters of the age group teams feature
1999 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) high school all-America selections
as well as 22 members of U.S. Field Hockey’s Under-16 and Under-19 National Teams. A faster, tighter version of the
outdoor game, indoor field hockey features six players on a team trying to push a ball
into the opposing team’s goal. Players use special indoor sticks that are thinner and
flatter than their outdoor counterparts, and must “push”, rather than
“hit”, the ball while attempting to score. Schedules and results for the National
Indoor Tournament are available at the U.S. Field Hockey website at www.usfieldhockey.com. US Field Hockey National
Indoor Tournament Players
to Watch (members of the 1999 NFHCA All-America team and US Field Hockey U16 and U20 teams) NFHCA All-America selections Colleen Barbieri
Thoroughbreds White Centereach, NY Second Team selections US Field
Hockey Junior National Team Members |