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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - U.S. Field Hockey will look to the future with an extremely young National Squad, as head coach Shiv Jagday prepares the team for competition in 2000 at the Americas Cup and Junior Pan American Championships.

      "We have an extremely young squad," said Jagday who returns just nine members from last year's Pan American Games team. "It is always easier to mold the younger athletes in the type of hockey player you want them to be. Fortunately, we also have some experienced players who can help them develop."

      Among the most experienced members of the team, 1996 Olympian Steve Danielson (San Diego, Calif.), 27, is the senior member of the squad with 73 international appearances, while 14-year-old Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) leads the group of youngest additions to the National squad. Eighteen members of the 25-player squad will be 21 years old or younger in 2000.

      Joining Danielson from last year's Pan American Games team are Jang Badhesha (Santa Clara, Calif.), Rinku Bhamber (Simi Valley, Calif.), Patrick Cota (Camarillo, Calif.), Shawn Hindy (Westlake Village, Calif.), Shawn Nakamura (Camarillo, Calif.), Brian Schledorn (Camarillo, Calif.), Mike Schanafelt (Camarillo, Calif.) and goalkeeper Andrew Duncan (Edmonton, Alberta). The group represents the only members of the team to have competed in a major international event. The team finished 5th at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg.

      Leo Amar (Camarillo, Calif.), C.J. Conant (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Koijan Kainth (Fullerton, Calif.) and Chris Terrebonne (Marlow Bucks, UK) also return to the team after serving on the National Squad in 1999. Last year's Under-20 team members Harris, Kyle Brantner (Simi Valley, Calif.), Justin Kenney (Whitehouse Station, N.J.), Bryan Rauschenberger (Simi Valley, Calif.) and goalkeeper Hans Wittenberg (Moorpark, Calif.) stepped up to position on the National squad, while William Molenaar was a member of the U.S. Under-16 Team in 1999.

      Ryan Deuvaert (New Albany, Ind.), Kieran Dunning (Launcester, Australia), Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Daljeet Sagoo (Fullerton, Calif.) and 1998 U.S. Under-18 Team member Ryan Vickers (Moorpark, Calif.) round out the squad.

      In addition to brothers Daraspreet and Koijan Kaith, the team features three additional sibling ties in U.S. Field Hockey. Kenny is the brother of U.S. Women's Under-21 Team member and 1999 Boston University All-American Robyn Kenney, while Martin is the brother of Women's Under-21 Team Member and University of North Carolina standout Abbey Martin. Harris' brother, Sean, is currently a member of the U.S. Under-16 team.

      The U.S. team will compete in the Americas Cup tournament, June 22-July 2

in Havana, Cuba for a spot in the 2002 World Cup. Argentina, Canada, Cuba and Mexico will join the U.S. men at the tournament along with five additional countries qualifying from regional preliminary tournaments.    

      The under-21 members of the team will get a rare opportunity to compete in two World Cup qualifying tournaments, when the younger athletes take part in the Pan American Championships, October 6-22 in Santiago, Chile. The team will be looking to earn a spot in the 2001 7th Men's Junior World Cup in Hobart, Australia.

      Team members will also compete for the USA Impact and USA Explosion in the new, five-team U.S. Field Hockey California League. The league tournament is scheduled for March 2-5 in Berkeley, Calif., June 1-4 in Chula Vista, Calif, and Aug. 17-20  in Moorpark, Calif. 

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