“The team’s looking pretty good,” said Bodimeade as the team continued its training prior to Sunday’s opener against Netherlands Antilles. “We’ve had a pretty full program leading into the tournament, and the good thing about it is we haven’t been so much focusing on just one particular tournament but our entire program. We’ve prepared beautifully for (the Pan Am Games) and I’ve been pretty happy with the way things have been going up to this point.”

Bodimeade has good reason to be all smiles. His team may be closing the gap on long-time Pan Am nemesis and world No. 2-ranked Argentina.

After more than a decade of defeats to five-time defending Pan Am Games champions, the USA defeated Argentina in two of the last five meetings between the two countries. The victories – including a 1-0 win to capture the title at the Chile Four Nation Tournament in May - ended an Argentine winning streak that dated back to 1991. Any possible meetings between the two teams in Rio would be at the crossover or classification game phase of the tournament where Argentina has never lost a Pan Am Games match. Four of the previous five women’s Pan Am finals have featured Argentine against the USA.

Another reason for Bodimeade’s optimistic outlook is the continued emergence of Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) as the world’s top goalkeeper. The WorldHockey All-Star Team goalkeeper in 2006, Tran has racked up Goalkeeper of the Tournament honors in six straight world-level tournaments in the past two years including top honors at last year’s World Cup and will be appearing in her second Pan American Games.

But while excited about the possibility of an Olympic qualifying berth in Rio, Tran is also looking forward to something she didn’t get in her first Pan Am appearance – playing time.

“The last Pan Am Games I think I played a total of five minutes,” laughs Tran on her 2003 Pan Am debut. “I’m just glad to be playing this time.”

Tran will see all of the playing time in the cage for the USA as the only goalkeeper on the USA’s Pan Am roster.

Tran and a USA defense that features Rachel Dawson (Berlin, N.J.) and Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.) will look to continue a long tradition of defensive dominance at the Pan Am Games that includes 18 shutout victories in five previous tournaments. Only Argentina (18 goals in 7 games), Canada (2), Chile (1) and Trinidad & Tobago (1) have tallied goals against the USA in Pan Am play.

Pan Am newcomer Netherlands Antilles will get its first shot at Tran and the USA when women’s play begins July 15. Making its continental debut just three years ago, Netherlands Antilles earned its spot in the Pan Am tournament with a second place finish behind Cuba at the Central America/Caribbean Games. The USA will meet Cuba in its second game (July 17) before concluding pool play against Canada (July 19). Five-time defending champion Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and host Brazil round out the women’s field in Pool A. The USA men begin play on Monday against Chile.

But while Tran looks to play more than just five minutes in Rio, 12 members of the young USA squad will be making their first Pan Am appearance. Only captain Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Tran have previous Pan Am experience.

Even with a young team and high stakes, Bodimeade does not anticipate his squad looking past its early opponents for a possible spot in the championship game.

“For a lot of our people, this is their first Pan American Games but they know there is a process involved before we can reach a qualification game or whatever the last game may be,” said Bodemeade. “I’m confident in knowing that the girls are focused and know that there’s a job to do before we can get to that point.”

Sun Safe Play!: USA Field Hockey and the USA National Team promote healthy and sun-smart decisions in Rio and at home through their sun safety program, Sun Safe Play. Dedicated to the memory of former field hockey coach and USA team member Maria Whitehead and in partnership with the Melanoma International Foundation, Sun Safe Play seeks to educate young athletes on the prevention and detection of melanoma and skin cancer. Whitehead died of cancer in November 2006 at the age of 25.

www.usafieldhockey.com