The tournament features four senior-level teams selected from USA Field Hockey's regionally-based High Performance Training Centers representing the Mid-Atlantic, Moorpark (Calif.), New York and the San Francisco Bay area.

In addition to competing for the national title, the 64 athletes at the tournament may also earn selection to the USA National Team based on their performances at the event. The U.S. team for this summer's Pan American Games will be chosen from the individuals selected at the national championship tournament.

Located in regions rich in field hockey tradition, the High Performance Centers provided athletes elite-level training and development opportunities at locations near their homes. Following a series of regularly-scheduled training sessions, the Centers select their top players to compete in the National Championship Tournament.

Play begins on May 2 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and continues through May 6 with the championship and third-place games. May 4 is a rest day with no games scheduled.

Current U.S. national team members will represent their Regional Training Centers including Rinku Bhamber (Simi Valley. Calif.), Pat Cota (Camarillo, Calif.), Jed Cunningham (Moorpark, Calif.), Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.), Sean Harris (Moorpark, Calif.), Ian Scally (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Jon Ginolfi (Moorpark, Calif.), Remco Couwenbergh (Northridge, Calif.), Binh Hoang (Westlake, Calif.), Shawn Nakamura (Camarillo, Calif.) and goalkeeper Jeb Saez (Thousand Oaks, Claif.) for defending champion Moorpark; Nate Coolidge (Sandwich, Mass.), Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Mick Harner (Hanover, Pa.), Malachi Mahan (Camarillo, Calif.), Brian Schledorn (Highland Park, N.J.) and Shawn Hindy (Westlake Village, Calif.)for Mid-Atlantic; Amrit Ahluwalia (Irvine, Calif,), Steve Danielson (San Diego, Calif.), Arjan Reyatt (Brea, Calif.), Daljeet Sagoo (Fullerton, Calif.), Chris Pothier (Forestdale, Mass.), and goalkeeper Jason Wellings (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) for San Francisco.

Coaches for the tournament include Univ. of California-Berkeley head coach Shellie Onstead for San Francisco, 1996 U.S. Olympian Ben Maruquin for Moorpark, Univ. of Maryland assistant coach Tjerk van Herwaarden for Mid-Atlantic and Danny Haydon for New York.

The tournament is the first of two national championships for male field hockey players in the USA. The men's junior championship is scheduled for June 26-July 1 in Chula Vista. Athletes at the junior championship may be selected to the USA's junior national squad.

www.usfieldhockey.com