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United Airlines Field Hockey League Continues at Princeton

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —The United Airlines Field Hockey League, U.S. Field Hockey’s elite-level summer competition series, continues with its second weekend of play, June 16-18 at Princeton University.

      The second weekend of the double round-robin tournament will produce the top four teams that will advance to the League semifinals, June 30 at the University of Maryland. The championship and consolation games are scheduled for July 1 at Maryland.

      The Midwest Cyclones, led by NCAA Player of the Year Sally Norcroft (Ball St.) and 1996 Olympian Marcia Pancratz, currently lead the League with a 4-0-1 record (12 pts). The League's other undefeated team and the defending League champion, the Southern Charm ranks second entering week two with a 3-0-2 mark (10pts) while last year's runner-up, the New England Eclipse, ranks third at 2-3-0 (6 pts). This week's home team, the Metro Rush also owns a 2-3-0 mark, but trails the Eclipse in goal differential, +4 to -6. The Philadelphia Fury (1-3-1) and the Tidewater Tempest (1-4-0) round out the League standings.

      The Metro Rush should enjoy a home field advantage this week with a team that includes Princeton players All-American and U.S. Under-21 player Melanie Meerschwam, Aviva Meerschwam, Bridget Marchesi, Jen Sodaski, Becky Wood and Princeton assistant coach Amy Ott.  Princeton head coach Beth Bozman is the coach of the Rush. The Rush roster also includes U.S. National Team members Kate Barber and Chris DeBow and U.S. Under-21 team member and Univ. of Virginia All-American Jessica Coleman.

      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 gain the services of the U.S. National Team members for the first time this weekend after team members concluded various coaching commitments during the first weekend of play

      In addition to the Rush's Bozman, the League features some of the nation’s top coaches University of Maryland Assistant Angie Bradley (Tidewater Tempest), West Chester Univ. head coach Kathy Krannebitter (Philadelphia Fury), Michigan State University 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).

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