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US Field Hockey Selects 2003-04 Women's Residency Squad

Meredith Keller is among the newest members of the U.S. women's national team residency squad following her selection at open trails.

Colorado Springs (9/1/03) - U.S. Field Hockey has selected its women's national team residency squad for 2003-04.

Continuing their residency training program at the team's National Training Center in Virginia Beach, head coach Beth Anders and the newly-selected squad will begin their preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, March 19-28, 2004 in Auckland, New Zealand. The U.S. women will need to finish among the top four or five teams at the Qualifier to earn a spot in the 2004 Olympic Games.

Selected during open trials held Aug. 28-31 in Virginia Beach, the squad includes 15 members of the USA team that captured the silver medal at last month's Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, as well as three new members to the squad.

Returning to the squad are Pan Am Games team members Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Katie Kauffman Beach (West Lawn, Pa.), Tracey Fuchs (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 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.), Jill Reeve (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, NY), Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) and Abbey Woolley (Ocean City, N.J.). Also returning to the squad is 1999 Pan Am Team member Mimi Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.)

The squad also features three new members  including former national team alternate Rachel Barger (Springfield, Va.) and former U.S. junior team members Meredith Keller (Wilmington, Del.) and Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.).

An alternate to the 2000 U.S. national team, Barger is a 1999 all-Mid-Atlantic region selection from the Univ. of Delaware. A 2000 graduate from Delaware, she ranks among the school's all-time leaders in career assists with 20. She was named to the 1999 America East All-Championship Team and was a second-team All-America East selection. Barger serves as a coach in U.S. Field Hockey's Futures Program and played for the club team Third Degree at U.S. Field Hockey's National Hockey Festival and National Indoor Tournament.

A member of U.S. Field Hockey's Under-23 team, Keller steps up to the U.S. National Team after earning All-America second-team honors at the Univ. of North Carolina in 2002. She was first named to the U.S. Under-21 team in 1997 and was the youngest member of the 1997 U.S. Junior World Cup team at the age of 17. She competed in a second Junior World Cup in 2001. As a senior at North Carolina in 2002, she earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and was named to the ACC All-Tournament team. She was selected as the team's 2002 Player of the Year.

A two-time All-America selection from the Univ. of Maryland, Messimer makes her debut on the U.S. senior squad after previously competing for the U.S. junior teams. She was a member of the 2001 U.S. Junior World Cup Team and joined current senior team teammates Kenney, Keller, Rizzo, Tran and Woolley as a member of the 1999 Under-20 team. At Maryland, Messimer was a four-time Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection, an ACC All-Tournament Team member in 2001, and an All-ACC selection as a senior in 2002 after leading the Terps in scoring with 16 goals and 37 points.

In preparing for next year's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the new squad will see its first international competition when the U.S. hosts Germany, Great Britain and Japan in the 2nd International Atlantic Cup, Oct. 8-12, 2003 at the U.S. Field Hockey National Training Center. Ticket information for the tournament is available on the U.S. Field Hockey website at www.usfieldhockey.com

2003-04 U.S. Field Hockey Women's Residency Squad