USA Field Hockey will play host to Canada and South Africa in September and October in pre-Pan American Games trainings, according to USA Field Hockey.
“This is an exciting opportunity to play our first matches in Charlotte and to test ourselves against similarly ranked opposition after the intensity and pressure of the [FIH Hockey] Pro League,” USWNT Head Coach David Passmore told USA Field Hockey. “All 24 athletes will feature in the games as it marks the last chance for us to view players in competitive action before Pan American Games selection.”
The United Eagles are ranked No. 16, while Canada is No. 15 and South Africa is No. 21. These international events mark USA’s first series taking place in Charlotte, N.C. The United Eagles will take on each nation in two International Hockey Federation (FIH) sanctioned matches.
“I expect Canada to be a tough opponent under former Olympic gold medalist coach Danny Kerry,” Passmore said. “South Africa will also present tough and experienced opponents as our last set of games before we leave for the Pan American Games. The matches will provide a great opportunity to fine tune things before we head to Santiago and present the opportunity to play at our new home turf that the United States Performance Center are laying for us at UNCC.”
Here is the latest information from USA Field Hockey:
The USA and Canada last played each other in the bronze medal match of the 2022 Pan American Cup. In this contest, not only was a medal on the line, but also qualification to the World Cup. Unable to capitalize on many chances or find an answer with their late surge, Canada tallied the game winner at the end of the first quarter for the narrow 1-0 win.
USWNT vs. Canada Schedule
Friday, September 8 6:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 10 5:00 p.m. ET
The USWNT vs. Canada games will be played at Bessant Field on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C.
The United Eagles and South Africa last met back in 2017 at the FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a must win game for the host nation to advance to the crossovers, and USA needed the points for final pool placement in the quarterfinal round. Finishing the first half tied at 1-1, South Africa came back and produced two goals within a two-minute span to earn the 3-2 victory.
USWNT vs. South Africa Schedule
Thursday, October 5 2:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, October 7 11:30 a.m. ET
The USWNT vs. South Africa matches will be played at the new turf on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
USWNT Roster
Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas), Sanne Caarls (Niew-Vennep, Netherlands), Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Va.), Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Amanda Golini (Randolph, N.J.), Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.), Fusine Govaert (Bedford, N.Y.), Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.), Ally Hammel (Duxbury, Mass.), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.), Karlie Kisha (Hamburg, Pa.), Natalie Konerth (Huntingtown, Md.), Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pa.), Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.), Kealsie Robles (Seaford, Va.), Megan Rodgers (San Diego, Calif.), Ashley Sessa (Schwenksville, Pa.), Meredith Sholder (Fleetwood, Pa.), Cassie Sumfest (Lewisburg, Pa.), Abigail Tamer (Dexter, Mich.), Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.), Beth Yeager (Greenwich, Conn.), Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.)
