USA Field Hockey News

USA Field Hockey Men to Host Trinidad & Tobago

Shawn Nakamura and the USA defeated Kwandwane Browne and Trinidad & Tobago in extra time at the 2003 Pan Am Games

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Field Hockey men's national team will return to international competition with a four-game series against Trinidad & Tobago, July 13-17 at the USA Field Hockey National Training Center in Virginia Beach.

The series is the first international competition for the USA men at the Virginia Beach Training Center and is the first competition for the USA since February when the team went 0-2-1 against Canada in Chula Vista, Calif.  Matches in the Trinidad & Tobago series are scheduled for July 13, 14, 16 and 17 at the Training Center.

The matches also represent a final tune-up for Trinidad & Tobago before competing in the Central America and Caribbean Games, July  20-29 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The top two teams at the tournament will qualify for the 2007 Pan American Games.

The CAC tournament is of special interest to the U.S. men in that it could determine the USA's opponent in a best-of-three series to determine the final berth in the Pan Am Games. The USA will play either a Central America/Caribbean team or a South American team in the qualifying series to be held in early 2007.

The USA won the last meeting between the two teams with a 3-2 extra time victory in the 5th-6th place game of the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.

Trinidad & Tobago is currently ranked 23rd (tie) in the world standings while the USA ranks 27th.