USA Field Hockey News

USA Field Hockey’s National Indoor Tournament Continues in Richmond

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey will feature some of its most promising young athletes this weekend as the association concludes its 2005 indoor season with the National Indoor Tournament, March 25-27, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Va.

The third is a series of indoor weekends, the finale features 800 athletes representing 72 teams in the under-14 and under-16 age groups. Previous weekends featured tournaments in the Under-19 age group, March 4-6 in Virginia Beach, Va. and Women’s Open Division, March 19-20 at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa.

The tournament begins at 6 p.m. Friday and concludes with final games at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Playing host to its first National Indoor Tournament, the city of Richmond welcomes teams from 12 states including California, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Host-state Virginia features five teams in the tournament including U14 team Rampage (Centreville) and U16 teams Rampage (Centreville), Norfolk Fury, Sparta Elite (Virginia Beach) and VA Express (Fredericksburg).

Initiated in 1980, the National Indoor Tournament has quickly become one of the sports premier off-season events. Once considered no more than a wintertime diversion, the game has grown to a full-time devotion for athletes looking to hone their skills and impress collegiate recruiters.

A furiously paced version of the outdoor game, indoor field hockey features six players on a team trying to push a ball into the opposing team’s goal. Players use special indoor sticks that are thinner and flatter than their outdoor counterparts and must “push,” rather than “hit” the ball while attempting to score.

Schedules, rosters and results for the National Indoor Tournament are available at the U.S. Field Hockey website at www.usfieldhockey.com.