The draw places the USA as the top seed in the Olympic Qualifier in Kazan, Russia, April 19-27, 2008 with India, Netherlands Antilles, Belgium, Chinese Taipei and host Russia. Two additional Olympic Qualifiers are scheduled for Baku, Azerbaijan and Vancouver, Canada with the winners of each of the three events earning spots in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

“With the qualifier you attend being based on your world rankings, it pretty much means that you earn the tournament that you are in,” said U.S. coach Lee Bodimeade. “Being the third highest ranked team that has not already qualified for the Olympics does place us in the more difficult of the three qualification tournaments. We would have preferred to play a lot closer to home, but I am sure that we will be better prepared for the Olympic Games, should be successful in Russia.”

The USA will see some familiar foes in the tournament including India – a team the USA had to defeat in a best-of-three series to qualify for the 2002 World Cup – as well as a strong Netherlands Antilles team that earned the bronze medal at July’s Pan American Games.

“Our strongest opposition will come from the very skillful Indian team who are ranked 13th in the world, Netherlands Antilles (19th) and the Russians will also be difficult on their home turf,” says Bodimeade. “Playing in Russia for the first time will add new challenges for the team but it is in this area that I have been impressed the most with our current squad. I believe that they thrive on overcoming the spanners that get thrown at them and that is when they play at their best.”

The USA is 7-1-5 in all-time games against India with the team’s last victory coming in 2002 to clinch the best-of-three World Cup Qualifying series. Against Netherlands Antilles, the USA broke open a tight game in the second half to post a 4-1 victory in the first-ever meeting between the two teams at the 2007 Pan American Games.

The USA has never played Chinese Taipei (World No. 28) and last met Belgium (No. 26) in 1994 in a match won by the USA, 7-0. The USA last played Russia at the 2004 Olympic Qualifier where the USA earned a 6-0 victory. The USA is 3-1-0 in all-time games against Russia.

In its preparations for the qualifier, the USA hosts No. 6 Japan in a five-game series, Oct. 7-13 at the Univ. of Maryland.

In the other two Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, world No. 8 Spain heads the field at the Baku, Azerbaijan venue with Ukraine, Kenya, Chile, Belarus and host Azerbaijan, April 12-20. In Vancouver, Korea (World No. 9) will be joined by Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Cuba and host Canada, April 26-May 4.

“It is not going to be easy,” says Bodimeade. “But now that we know where we are heading, we can start to focus on what will be required to be successful.”

Sun Safe Play Campaign
Initiated in June 2007 in memory of former USA Field Hockey teammate Maria Whitehead, the Sun Safe Play! Campaign is an effort by the USA Field Hockey National Team and the Melanoma International Foundation to provide athletes who regularly play, practice and compete in the sun with educational information on melanoma and skin cancer prevention. A former member of USA Field Hockey teams and a college coach, Whitehead died from melanoma in November of 2006. USA Field Hockey’s Sun Safe Play! Campaign encourages all outdoor athletes to practice sun safe habits and make healthy decisions while playing in the sun.

USA Field Hockey National Squad Roster: Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Kayla Bashore (Shoemakersville, Pa.), Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa.), Rachel Dawson (Berlin, N.J.), Sarah Dawson (Berlin, N.J.), Jill Dedman (Orange, Conn.), Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.), Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa.), April Fronzoni (Larksville, Pa.), Michelle Kasold (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Claire Laubach (Centreville, Va.), Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa.), Natalie Martirosian (Richmond, Va.),Caroline Nichols (Virginia Beach, Va.), Katie O’Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa.), Lauren Powley (Mountaintop, Pa.), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), Dana Sensenig (Denver, Pa.), Sara Silvetti (Wapwallopen, Pa.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Tiffany Snow (Escondido, Calif.), Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.), Barbara Weinberg (Louisville, Ky.)
Head Coach: Lee Bodimeade

www.usafieldhockey.com