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Contact US Field Hockey at usfha@usfieldhockey.com
United States Field Hockey Association
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Lancaster, Downingtown to Welcome US Field Hockey’s National Indoor Tournament
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - March may be known for its "madness," but Lancaster and Downingtown, Pa. residents can expect a little "Indoor Insanity" this month when the U.S. Field Hockey Association brings its National Indoor Tournament to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster and the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown.
The tournament gets underway March 19-21 with the Under-14, Under-16 and Under-19 age group tournament at Franklin & Marshall, followed by the Adult Open tournament, March 27-28 in Downingtown for men’s and women’s open teams. Approximately 1000 athletes from 102 teams will take part in the event.
Initiated in 1980, the National Indoor Tournament featured a new wrinkle in 1999 with Under-19 teams earning spots at the tournament based on pool championships at the 1998 tournament or through performances at qualifying tournaments held earlier this year. Previous year’s pool winners in the Under-14 and Under-16 divisions also received automatic tournament berths with the remainder of the 76-team age-group field selected through a lottery of over 117 teams.
"We are all very excited about this year’s National Indoor Tournament," says Tournament chair Frannie Slabonick of U.S. Field Hockey’s Board of Directors. "Through the qualification tournaments, we believe we have a true national event featuring some of the sport’s best young talent.
"Franklin & Marshall will be an excellent host for the age group tournament with its four regulation courts at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center, and we’re as equally excited with continuing the inauguration of the new United Sports Training Center with our adult open tournament the following week."
Rosters of the age group teams at the tournament feature 18 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) high school all-America selections and 17 members of the U.S. Field Hockey’s Under-16 and Under-20 teams.
A faster, tighter 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 and results for the National Indoor Tournament are available at the U.S. Field Hockey website at www.usfieldhockey.com.
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