With only a few weeks away from the 2023 Junior Pan American Championship, the U-21 head coach of the women’s team named the 18-athlete-roster selected to compete, according to USA Field Hockey.
Names were published Tuesday, following a weekend training camp. The JPAC games are taking place April 10 to 18 at the Wildey Hockey Centre in the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in St. Michael, Barbados. The women’s event is a qualifier for the 2023 FIH Hockey Junior World Cup.
Here are the athletes:
- Mia Abello, Houston, Texas
- Lucy Adams, Andover, Mass.
- Olivia Bent-Cole, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Charlotte Bruder, Malvern, Pa.
- Jans Croon, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
- Katie Dixon, Cary, N.C.
- Ryleigh Heck, Berlin, N.J.
- Josie Hollamon, Delmar, Del.
- Daniela Mendez-Trendler, Reistertown, Md.
- Madison Orsi, Downingtown, Pa.
- Hope Rose, Dauphin, Pa.
- Annabel Skubisz, Houston, Texas
- Abigail Tamer, Whitmore Lake, Mich.
- Kiersten Thomassey, New Albany, Ohio
- Ellie Todd, Wellesley, Mass.
- Reagan Underwood, Sinking Spring, Pa.
- Lauren Wadas, Annville, Pa.
- Rayne Wright, Bethlehem, Pa.
- Isabella Bianco, Berlin, N.J. and Jayden Moon, Spotsylvania, Pa. *non-traveling reserve
Head Coach Tracey Paul
Assistant Coaches Allan Law, Jordan Page (Page is also manager)
Video analyst Chris Fry
“Our 2023 U-21 squad is a very strong group, so selecting just 18 of them was quite a challenge,” said Paul. “We just had a very productive training camp in Charlotte, where we had the opportunity to scrimmage the senior team. It is very impressive how focused and committed the entire squad is to our performance objectives. We are in a challenging three team pool [at the Junior Pan American Championships], however, I feel very confident these young women will do the necessary work between now and then to be fully prepared to achieve success and qualify for the Junior World Cup.”
Four athletes who represented USA at the 2021 edition of the JPAC were renamed to this squad. They are Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.), Annabel Skubisz (Houston, Texas), Abigail Tamer (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) and Lauren Wadas (Annville, Pa.). Of the selected, there is group of athletes that are on the senior U.S. Women’s National Team and a few who have already represented Team USA.
Those looking to bring their experience to the junior level Mia Abello (Houston, Texas), Olivia Bent-Cole (Philadelphia, Pa.)(5), Ryleigh Heck (Berlin, N.J.), Josie Hollamon (Delmar, Del.)(5), Rose (10) and Tamer. Both Rose and Kiersten Thomassey (New Albany, Ohio) were added to the 2023 U-21 USWNT following the previous selection camp.
In 2021, the U-22 USWNT brought home bronze and earned a spot to the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup (JWC) after beating Chile in a shootout. Tied 1-1 after regulation, it went down to the final round of the shootout for USA to prevail 3-2. The Junior Eagles won the JPAC in 2008, took home silver in 1988, 2000, 2005 and 2016, and bronze in 1997, 2012 and 2021.
This marked the second time in a row that USA qualified for the women’s JWC. The other previous editions the red, white and blue competed in were in 1989, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2016.
The top three women’s teams at the JPAC will qualify for the 2023 FIH Junior Hockey World Cup, set for December 6 to 17 in Santiago, Chile.
