2026 Junior Pan American Cups Preview
SANTIAGO, Chile – Next week, the U.S. U-21 Men’s and Women’s National Teams will begin competition at the 2026 Junior Pan American Cups (JPAC). Hosted at the National Stadium Sports Park in Santiago, Chile from April 6 to 18, 2026, this event serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIH Hockey Junior World Cup (JWC). The top three finishing men's and top four finishing women's teams will qualify.
Below is everything you need to know before the first match kicks off!
WorldSportPics
History
The Junior Pan American Cups (previously named the Junior Pan American Championships) is an international junior field hockey competition for men and women organized by the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF). The tournament started in 1978 for the men and 1988 for the women.
In the men's competition, Argentina has won the competition every year except in 2021 where Chile was named the victors. For the women's, Argentina won eight, USA twice and Canada once.
In the history of JPAC, the Junior USMNT has brought home bronze twice, in 2008 and 2021. The U-21 USWNT has won gold twice, in 2008 and 2023; took home silver in 1988, 2000, 2005, 2016, and 2024; and claimed bronze in 1997, 2012 and 2021.
WorldSportPics
Roster
Head coach Paul Singh named the junior men’s roster back in February, and will look to lead the squad to their first JWC qualification since 2021. The 2024 JPAC ended in heartbreak, after the U-21 USMNT fell to Chile in shootouts in the bronze medal match, just narrowly missing out on qualification. Several athletes named to the roster return from that 2024 squad, they are Rory Bleeker, Sekayi Charasika, Mehtab Grewal, Mees Kloen, Noah Mendoza, Bennet Nobereit, and Jasper Pouw. Bleeker, Charasika, Grewal, and Pouw were part of the roster that competed at the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Ismalia, Egypt earlier this year.
The junior women look to make another appearance on the international stage after their historic sixth-place finish at the 2025 JWC last December in Santiago. Head Coach Ange Bradley returns along with nine of the athletes who represented USA. The returners are Mary Adams (Andover, Mass.), Reese Anetsberger (Northbrook, Ill.), Ella Beach (Northbrook, Ill.), Madison Beach (Northbrook, Ill.), Olivia Bent-Cole (Philadelphia, Pa.), Juliana Boon (Houston, Texas), Reese D’Ariano (West Chester, Pa.), Lauren Masters (Pittstown, N.J.), and Ava Moore (Southampton, N. J.). Several newcomers will look to get their first junior international caps. D’Ariano, a member of the USWNT, helped the red, white, and blue to a silver finish and qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup at the 2025 Pan American Cup.
WorldSportPics
Schedule
On the men’s side, there are seven countries participating: No. 3 Argentina, No. 16 Canada, No. 20 Chile, No. 29 USA, No. 34 Brazil, No. 36 Mexico, and Venezuela. The women’s competition features six countries: No. 2 Argentina, No. 4 USA, No. 16 Uruguay, No. 18 Chile, No. 21 Canada, and No. 34 Mexico. Each team will play each other in a round-robin format, with the top four teams moving on to the semifinals.
Date | Time ET | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Mon., April 6 | 10:00 AM | M | USA vs Brazil |
4:00 PM | W | USA vs Canada | |
Thurs., April 9 | 5:00 PM | W | USA vs Chile |
7:00 PM | M | Chile vs USA | |
Fri., April 10 | 10:00 AM | W | Mexico vs USA |
6:00 PM | M | Canada vs USA | |
Sun., April 12 | 4:00 PM | M | USA vs Venezuela |
Mon., April 13 | 1:00 PM | W | USA vs Argentina |
Tues., April 14 | 12:00 PM | M | USA vs Mexico |
2:00 PM | W | Uruguay vs USA | |
Wed., April 15 | 4:00 PM | M | Argentina vs USA |
Fri., April 17 | Crossover & Semifinals | ||
Sat., April 18 | Finals |
For more information about the 2026 Junior Pan American Cups, visit the event page.
