Sessa Looking to Pair Collegiate Stardom with National Success at World Cup

On the surface, it may seem like Ashley Sessa is lucky. She committed to play at North Carolina when she was just 14 years old, and won a National Championship in her freshman year in 2022. Then, she transferred.

She found Northwestern, a program that found its way to national trophies as well, with Sessa’s ‘Cats winning the title in 2024 and 2025. For Ashley Sessa, who’ll earn her 63rd international cap with USA at the FIH Hockey World Cup, it’s not luck that’s allowed her to be a part of the success.

She’s a driving force of it.

Sessa’s first college visit came in eighth grade, a trip to the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.

“I remember telling them, ‘There’s no way I’m committing in eighth grade,’” recalled Sessa. “I just wanted to see it now for future reference.”

While Maryland was a major player in Sessa’s recruitment, North Carolina became the school she felt most certain she’d want to be at four years later.

“I was certain at the time, because UNC [has a] very strong program,” said Sessa. “I was like, ‘This is where the best go, and I want to be the best I can be.’ … I loved the campus and the community they have there. I’ve met great friends.”

Sessa still keeps in touch with both field hockey and non-field hockey friends from North Carolina regularly.

Three teammates on that undefeated national champion roster are still sharing the field with Sessa. Meredith Sholder, Katie Dixon, and Ryleigh Heck are all competing together on the world stage at the FIH Hockey World Cup, teaming back up with the mission of international success at hand.

Sessa started every game in that undefeated 2022 season in Chapel Hill, earning her spot as a true freshman under Karen Shelton, in Shelton’s final season. Shelton’s squad had lost to Northwestern in 2021, taking a rare round one loss in the NCAA Tournament.

“Everyone had a chip on their shoulder that year from prior games,” said Sessa. “We went out there and really showed the team what we can be. Putting away five goals in a National Championship game is not easy at all.”

The next year, an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream came through when David Passmore, U.S. Women's National Team's Head Coach, asked Sessa to take an Olympic waiver and step away from her 2023 college season.

Sessa said “absolutely.”

“I will do everything in my power that I can to have an opportunity to become an Olympian, a lifelong goal.”

Sessa describes that year of training as intense, but is “thankful” for what that year taught her about herself, and how important it is to work hard to fulfill dreams.

“You are dying at practice every single day,” said Sessa. “It’s not for the weak, that’s for sure. There’s times where we are collapsing over the end line during conditioning. You're doing hard stuff every single day, every single hour. Just having the girls with you, you're not doing it alone. You're doing it with amazing people around you every single day. And it just shows how strong of a community on the field we have.”

Sessa and USA traveled to India during that 2023-24 season to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, needing to finish top three at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier tournament. USA went 3-0 in pool play, beating India, Italy, and New Zealand, before winning a dramatic semifinal over Japan, 2-1, to punch their ticket to the Olympic Games.

Sessa was named Player of the Match in that Olympic-clinching match.

“It was an incredible experience,” said Sessa. “Knowing that we would be first-time Olympians and going to Paris after putting in so much hard work. It did not come easy to qualify for that tournament.”

The off-year of college also gave Sessa a chance to re-evaluate her home school, which would continue to be the same school she committed to at 14. She needed a change, and the fall of 2023 allowed her to visit some prospective schools.

“I committed so young when I was 14,” she said. “I had no idea who I was and what I liked.”

Sessa’s family was encouraging her to check out Northwestern. She kept finding reasons not to, but relented over Thanksgiving break and got on a flight to Evanston, Ill.

She’d only get around 20 hours on Northwestern’s campus, as she needed to return to Charlotte as soon as possible for training with the national team. Despite the short time and the November chill, Sessa “fell in love” with the campus and coaching staff, and “felt at home right away.”

While Sessa competed in the Paris 2024, a photo of her locker sent from teammate Olivia Bent-Cole made her feel like Northwestern was even more of her home. She was joining the team for preseason late, but a small gesture from a teammate eased the nerves about joining a new program midway through preseason camp.

“Coming into Northwestern, I only knew a couple of people,” said Sessa. “The people I knew, I didn't really know them on a personal level. I was a little intimidated and kind of nervous going in. I was coming in late, so it was a little nerve-wracking, but I think when Liv sent me that picture, it's such a small gesture that meant so much to me.”

Sessa flew home five days before closing ceremonies with USA teammate Phia Gladieux, who was gearing up for her final season at Penn State. Sessa fit in as a Wildcat seamlessly, averaging a goal per game and earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, an award she also went on to win in 2025.

The Wildcats only lost one game in 2024, the Big Ten Championship to Michigan. They went on to beat Massachusetts in the NCAA Semifinals and win the National Championship over St. Joseph’s, a win over the Hawks that included two assists by Sessa.

Her collegiate career continued to roll, as did Northwestern in 2025. The Wildcats were a one-loss team again last fall, losing to Princeton by a goal in the regular season. Fittingly, Sessa’s team beat the Tigers for the National Championship in double overtime, on a goal by Ilse Tromp assisted by Sessa.

Sessa got the ball in the sequence from USA teammate Maddie Zimmer, who she’ll suit up with in the World Cup this month.

“When it went into overtime, we trusted each other,” Sessa recalled from this past year’s final. “We know we're a very strong overtime team. We can run forever. So the first overtime's over and we're all exhausted, but we're going to go back out there. We’re either going to score in the first two minutes, or we're going to get a corner. We did [get a corner] and Ilse just rocketed it in. It was funny because she fell to the ground. We were all exhausted, but we were so happy that it finally fell.”

With some good competition in pool play for USA at the World Cup, the same ‘belief in each other’ is going to be necessary for the United Eagles.