USA Field Hockey Women Set to Host World's Top Teams at AstroTurf March on Madrid Tournament

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The USA Field Hockey women's national team will host the world's top three teams in the AstroTurf March on Madrid Four Nation Tournament, Aug. 17-27 at the Univ. of Maryland in College Park and the USA Field Hockey National Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va.

In a prelude to this fall's women's World Cup, the double round-robin tournament features No. 1 ranked The Netherlands, No. 2 ranked Argentina and No. 3 ranked Australia as well as the 12th ranked USA. The tournament will serve as a final tune-up for next month’s World Cup as as all four squads will head to the world championship event Sept. 27-Oct. 8, 2006 in Madrid, Spain.

For the USA tournament, the teams will begin the event at the Univ. of Maryland with first round games Aug. 17-20. The teams will then travel down to Virginia Beach for the second round of play Aug. 23-26. The tournament concludes with the consolation and championship matches on Aug. 27 in Virginia Beach.

The world's top ranked team, The Netherlands earned the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and captured top honors at the Champions Trophy competition in late 2005. Argentina is the defending world champion and earned the bronze medal at the Athens Olympic Games while Australia placed second at the 2005 Champions Trophy and won the Olympic gold medal in 1996 and 2000.

The tournament brings the world's top-ranked teams to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Australia captured the gold medal at the 1996 Games while The Netherlands earned the bronze medal. The USA placed fifth and Argentina placed seventh in Atlanta.

At the Maryland site, Bodimeade will go with a roster that includes Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Kayla Bashore (Shoemakersville, Pa.), Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa.), Rachel Dawson (Berlin, Pa.), Sarah Dawson (Berlin, N.J.),  Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.), Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa.), Michelle Kasold (Chapel Hill, N.C.),  Kelsey Keeran (Columbus, Ohio), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa.), Lauren Powley (Mountaintop, Pa.), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), Sara Silvetti (Wapwallopen, Pa.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Tiffany Snow (Escondido, Calif.) and goalkeepers Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) and Barbara Weinberg (Louisville, Ky.).

Teams may adjust their rosters following the first round of play, and the remaining members of the U.S. squad including Kelly Dostal (Hatfield, Mass.), April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa.), Kristi Gannon (Escondido, Calif.),  Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, Pa.), Claire Laubach, (Bristow, Va.) and  Katie O'Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa.), are expected to see action when the tournament moves to Virginia Beach.

Tickets for the AstroTurf March on Madrid are available at the gate on each day of the tournament. Admission is free for USA Field Hockey members with proof of membership and $5 for adults and $3 for youth 12-18 and free for children under 12.

The tournament comes at the two-year out "Countdown to Beijing" and the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games. The Games of the XXIX Olympiad will take place Aug. 8-24, 2008 in Beijing with 28 sports and 302 events. The 2008 Olympic Games will also include two additional women's field hockey teams raising the Olympic field from 10 to 12 teams.