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United Airlines Field Hockey League Opens Third Season at Chapel Hill

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —The United Airlines Field Hockey League, U.S. Field Hockey’s elite-level summer competition series, opens its third season June 2-4, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

      The League features six franchise teams composed of top players from around the country including U.S. Olympians, U.S. National and Junior national team members, collegiate All-Americans and high school standouts.  The League encourages mixed-aged teams which allows athletes as young as 15 to play on the same teams with players with more than 15 years of international experience. Players earned spots on the League rosters through open trials held in May at locations throughout the eastern United States.

      Rosters of the 2000 United Airlines Field Hockey League teams 12 1996 Olympians, 17 collegiate All-Americans, 13 high school All-Americans and 43 members of the U.S. National, Under-19, Under-21 and Under-16 teams. Teams will be without the services of many of the U.S. National Team members for the first weekend of play as they wrap-up various coaching commitments.

      In addition, the League features some of the nation’s top coaches including Princeton head coach Beth Bozman (Metro Rush), University of Maryland Assistant Angie Bradley (Tidewater Tempest), West Chester Univ. head coach Kathy Krannebitter (Philadelphia Fury), Michigan State Univeristy head coach Michelle Madison (Midwest Cyclones), Northeastern Univ. head coach Cheryl Murtagh (New England Eclipse) and University of North Carolina head coach Karen Shelton (Southern Charm).

      The defending League champion, the Southern Charm opens the defense of their title with the home field advantage at Chapel Hill. Many of the Charm's players have ties to the University of North Carolina as well as neighboring Duke and Wake Forest. The UNC/Charm alumni expected to see action in the first week include Olympians Laurel Martin, Cindy Werley and Leslie Lyness as well as current UNC stars Abbey Woolley, Meredith Keller, Susan Hayes, Abbey martin, Carrie Lingo, Lizzy Duffy and goalkeeper Amy Tran. The team also includes Wake Forest head coach Jennifer Averill and All-Americans Meaghan Nitka and Jenny Everett as well as Duke head coach and 1996 Olympian Liz Tchou and All-American Courtney Sommer. Local high school standout and U.S. Under-19 team member Amy Stopford of Durham academy is also expected to be on the field for the Charm.