US Field Hockey News

U.S. Men Set For Pan American Games Opener

SANTO DOMINGO – The first game of the XIV Pan American Games field hockey tournament could also be one of the most important contests for the United States men’s team when the U.S. takes on Chile at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 2 at the Parque del Este hockey stadium.

“The game against Chile is an important game. That’s all I’m going to say,” said U.S. coach Shiv Jagday.

The Pan Am field hockey tournament serves as the continental qualifying event for the 2004 Olympic Games with the winner advancing to Athens. The tournament’s opening game, the USA/Chile contest could go a long way in determining which teams will advance to the tournament semifinals and keep their Olympic qualifying hopes alive.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the first game, an important game or a Mickey Mouse game,” said Jagday. “If we do what we are capable of, and play with discipline and as a team, then we are going to be successful. If we don’t do those things, or if we don’t think about the things we need to improve on, then we don’t need an opponent because we will just beat ourselves.”

In addition to Chile and the USA, Pool A includes the world’s #6 ranked team and Pan Am tournament top seed Argentina as well as host Dominican Republic. The U.S. men defeated the Dominicans, 16-1, at the Pan Am Cup Qualifying Tournament in Santo Domingo in early May, and went 0-2-1 in a three game series against Chile last July. The U.S. hasn’t faced Argentina since a 4-1 victory by the South American champions at the 1999 Pan American Games.

Pool B includes defending Pan Am Games champion Canada, Pan American Cup champion Cuba, Central America and Caribbean champion Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados.

Jagday’s young team features five members with previous Pan Am experience including 1999 team members Jang Badhesha (Santa Clara, Calif.), Rinku Bhamber (Simi Valley, Calif.), Pat Cota (Camarillo, Calif.), Shawn Hindy (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Shawn Nakamura (Camarillo, Calif.).

The team averages just over 22 year of age and includes 16-year-old Gurpal Kundi (Glendora, Calif.), 18-year-old Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) and 19-year-old goalkeeper Jeb Saez (Thousand Oaks, Calif.).

Brothers Daraspreet and Koijan Kainth (Fullerton, Calif.), forwards Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, Calif.) and Ian Scally (Thousand Oaks, Calif,), midfielders Dajeet Saggo (Fullerton, Calif.) and Arjan Reyatt (Brea, Calif), defender David Schmoyer (Doyelstown, Pa.) and goalkeeper Jason Wellings (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) round out the USA’s young team.

Although competing in a tournament against recent international tournament champions Canada (’99 Pan Am Games), Cuba (200 Pan American Cup) and Argentina (2001 World Cup Qualifier), Jagday remains optimistic about the chances of his young team.

“If we think optimistically, follow the game plan and play simple hockey, nobody can stop us.”

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