US Field Hockey News

US Field Hockey News

India Downs USA Men in Pre-Olympic Friendly

MOORPARK, Calif. – Olympic-bound India continued its preparations for the Athens Games with a 7-0 victory over a combined USA senior/junior team in the first of two friendly competitions at the USA men's training facility at Moorpark College.

The two teams will meet again Sunday at 2:30 P.M. as India completes the USA training leg of its Olympic preparations en route to a pair of 4-Nation tournaments in The Netherlands and Germany prior to competing in the Olympic Games. India had been training at the Athletes' Performance Center in Tempe, Ariz. since early June.

An enthusiastic crowd of 400 watched the world's #6-ranked India team jump out to a 4-0 halftime lead on its way to the convincing victory. Ranked 24th in the world, the USA men did not qualify for the Olympic Games, but used the match with India to provide international experience for a roster full of junior players facing major tournament action in the coming year.

Head coach Shiv Jagday made liberal use of members of the USA junior team including starters, Danny Jordan (Camarillo, Calif.), Richie Jordan (Camarillo, Calif.), Emaad Farooqui (Canoga Park, Calif.), Sean Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) and Malachi Mahan (Camarillo, Calif.). Senior team veterans Shawn Nakamura (Camarillo, Calif.), Shawn Hindy (Westlake Village, Calif.), Rinku Bhamber (Simi Valley, Calif.), Ian Scally (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Patrick Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) and Jeb Saez (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) rounded out the starting lineup for the USA.

The host squad also featured appearances by junior team members Jacob Schlossler (Moorpark, Calif.), Ryan Sherburne (Greenfield, Mass.), Chris Niles (Camarillo, Calif.), Zafar Jadwet (Simi Valley, Calif.), Jonathan Ginolfi (Moorpark, Calif.), Zach Freundlich (Wayland, Mass.) and Jaspal Grewall (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) as the team prepares for next year's Junior Pan American Championships and a possible qualifying berth for the Junior World Cup.

India
Kamaldeep Singh, Adrian D’Souza, Dilip Tirkey, Kanwalpreet Singh, Sandeep Singh, William Xalxo, Vikram Pillay, Viren Rasquinha, Bimal Lakra, Ignace Tirkey, Sunil Yadav, Gagan Ajit Singh, Baljeet Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakur, Arjun Halappa, Inderjeet Singh, Rajinder Singh (Coach), Harendra Singh (Staff), Moro Negi (Staff), Oliver Kurtz (Staff)

USA
Shawn Nakamura, Shawn Hindy, Rinku Bhamber, Ian Scally, Patrick Harris, Jeb Saez, Chris Niles, Emaad Farooqui, Zafar Jadwet, Jonathan Ginolfi, Ryan Sherburne, Malachi Mahan, Danny Jordan, Ritchie Jordan, Zach Freundlich, Jacob Schlossler, Shiv Jagday (Coach), Shellie Onstead (Assistant Coach), Dave Harris (Assistant Coach), Kari Robertson (Trainer), Dean Nakamura (Manager)