US Field Hockey News

US Field Hockey Women To Face Chile and Argentina in Pan Am Preview.

Colorado Springs – The U.S. Field Hockey women's national team will continue its preparations for this summer's Pan American Games with a series of games against Pan Am foes Chile and Argentina, June 4-15, in Santiago, Buenos Aires and Rosario.

In visiting its traditional continental rivals, the U.S. will get a preview of the two teams before they meet again in the Pan American Games, Aug. 2-13 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The winner of the Pan Am Games earns an automatic berth in the 2004 Olympic Games. In Santo Domingo, Chile and Argentina will begin the competition in Pool A with the host Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago, while the U.S. will open the Games in Pool B with Canada, Jamaica and Uruguay.

The U.S. squad will get the chance to scout yet another Pan Am opponent when the team hosts Jamaica, June 20-23 at the U.S. Field Hockey National Training Center in Virginia Beach.

The U.S. is scheduled to open the tour with three games against Chile, June 4, 6 and 7 in Santiago before traveling to Buenos Aires for games with a pair of games with the Argentina "B" side, June 9 and 11, and a match with Argentina June 10. The team is then scheduled to move to Rosario for two games with the world champions, June 14 and 15.

The only women's champion the Pan American Games have ever had, Argentina is coming off its historic World Cup championship in December. The team is led by 2002 FIH Player of the Year Cecilia Rognoni and 2001 FIH Player of the Year Luciana Aymar along with FIH Young Player of the Year Soldedad Garcia. Argentina went undefeated in earning its first world championship at the World Cup, and added the title to a collection of recent honors including 2001 Champions Trophy champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist.

Against Chile, the U.S. will face a team poised to challenge for higher spots in the international standings after finishing 6th at the 1999 Pan Am Games. Chile earned its spot in this year's Pan Am tournament after placing second at the Pan American Championships.

      The U.S. tour team includes Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Katie Beach (West Lawn, Pa.), Natalie Dawson (Berlin, N.J.), Tracey Fuchs (Centereach, N.Y.), Kelli Gannon (Escondido, Calif.), Tara Jelley (Greenfield, Mass.), Robyn Kenney (Readington, N.J.), Tracey Larson (Morrisville, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Kristen McCann (Allentown, Pa.), Melanie Meerschwam (Princeton, N.J), Kim Miller (Virginia Beach, Va.), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Mimi Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.), Abbey Woolley (Ocean City, N.J.) and goalkeepers Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, N.Y.) and Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.).

Old Dominion Univ. head coach Beth Anders will serve as head coach on the tour with assistant coaches Nick Conway and Andrew Griffiths.

Following the tour and the visit by the Jamaican team, the U.S. team will travel to Catania, Italy for the 2nd Champions Challenge, July 5-13. Teams ranked 7th-12th in the international standings traditionally receive invitations to the Champions Challenge, and the 9th ranked U.S. team will take on Germany (7th), Spain (8th), Japan (10th), New Zealand (11th) and host Italy at the event.

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