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Homecoming for
former Wolverines, Terrapins
US Field Hockey Names Team for
Collegiate Challenge
Colorado Springs, Colo. –
U.S. Field Hockey women’s national team
members Keli Gannon, Katie Kauffman Beach, Keli Smith and Carla Tagliente will get the
chance to return to their alma maters this weekend when the U.S. team takes on the Univ. of Michigan and the
Univ. of Maryland in the first weekend of the Collegiate Challenge.
The Challenge, a
four-game U.S. tour to the campuses of last year’s NCAA
national semifinalists, opens Friday, Sept. 23 at defending national champion Michigan before heading to last year’s NCAA
runner-up Univ. of Maryland on Aug. 25. The tour resumes at Wake Forest on Sept. 5 and concludes at Princeton Sept. 7.
U.S. coach
Tracey Belbin announced her roster for the first weekend of games which includes former
Univ. of Michigan alumna Gannon (Escondido, Calif.) as well as Univ. of Maryland graduates Beach (West lawn, Pa.),
Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.). The U.S. lineup also features Michigan assistant coach and two-time Olympian Tracey
Fuchs (Ann Arbor, Mich.) as well as former wolverine assistant Peggy
Storrar (Mahopac, N.Y.). Another former Maryland standout, Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) was
selected to the U.S. national squad last week, but will not suit up for the Challenge.
The rest of the
16-member U.S. Challenge team features Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Jill Dedman (Orange, Conn.), Tara Jelley (Greenfield, Mass.), Tracey
Larson (Morrisville, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Kristen McCann (Allentown, Pa.), Melanie Meerschwam (Amstelveen, NED), Kim
Miller (Virginia Beach, Va.), Jill Reeve (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) and Mimi Smith (Virginia
Beach, Va.).
The defending
national champions, Michigan defeated Maryland, 2-0, in last year’s NCAA championship
game, and lost only three starters from a team that went 18-5 in 2001. Maryland lost 10 letterwinners and six starters from
its Atlantic Coast Conference champion team that went 20-4 last year.
Following the
exhibition game against the USA, both teams open their regular season on Aug.
31 with Michigan at the Univ. of North Carolina and Maryland at Northwestern.
www.usfieldhockey.com
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