Farry Names FIH Hockey Pro League Traveling Roster
by USA Field Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After 438 days without a game, the U.S. Women’s National Team will return to the pitch mid-May for the continuation of the 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro League season. USWNT Head Coach Anthony Farry and coaching staff have named the 25-athlete traveling roster that will head to Europe for the four remaining matches.
“It’s wonderful to be able to get back to playing international hockey, given the circumstance we feel very privileged and lucky to be able to step back onto the field,” said Farry. “These games will allow us to continue working on our selection process as we move toward naming a squad at the end of June.”
The named travel roster is similar to the one that competed in 2019, with a few additions of Junior U.S. Women’s National Team athletes. Leading the squad with the most international caps are Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.), Lauren Moyer (York, Pa.), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.) and Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md.). These athletes will bring their experience to a squad that features a handful of athletes with less than five games under their belts. Farry invited five athletes to the traveling team following their submissions from the virtual trial. Those are Kelsey Briddell (Gansevoort, N.Y.) and Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.) from the Development Team, Julianna Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) from the U-21 USWNT and Beth Yeager (Rye, N.Y.) from the Rise USWNT. Maddie Bacskai (Berwyn, Pa.), who missed her senior 2019 season with Princeton due to an injury and did not compete in 2020-21 as the Ivy League and Princeton opted out, was also added. All these athletes have been training with the senior squad since the restart.
USWNT FIH Hockey Pro League Traveling Roster:
Maddie Bacskai (Berwyn, Pa.), Mary Beth Beiler (Fairfax, Va.), Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas), Virginia Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.), Kelsey Briddell (Gansevoort, N.Y.), Ali Campbell (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.), Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.), Alexandra Hammel (Duxbury, Mass.), Karlie Heistand (Hamburg, Pa.), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.), Laura Hurff (Newark, Del.), Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pa.), Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.), Madison Maguire (Rumson, N.J.), Lauren Moyer (York, Pa.), Alyssa Parker (Woodbine, Md.), Haley Randall (Virginia Beach, Va.), Miranda Rigg (Fredericksburg, Va.), Kealsie Robles (Seaford, Va.), Julianna Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md.), Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.), Nicole Woods (Beverly, Mass.), Beth Yeager (Rye, N.Y.)
USWNT FIH Hockey Pro League Schedule:
Saturday, May 15USA vs. Belgium11:30 a.m. ET
Sunday, May 16 USA vs. Belgium11:30 a.m. ET
Saturday, May 22USA vs. Great Britain 8:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, May 23USA vs. Great Britain7:00 a.m. ET
The No. 15 USWNT will restart their FIH Hockey Pro League campaign when they take on No. 12 Belgium in two games at the Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein-Antwerp. The last time that USA and the Red Panthers played was April 2019, in the FIH Hockey Pro League, a game that Belgium narrowly took, 2-1, scoring in the final minute of play.
They will then head to London for their two-game series against No. 5 Great Britain. Taking place at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the same location as their previous meeting, that April 2019 match-up took a shootout to decide, finishing 1-1 (2-1 SO) to Team GB.
A historical fact, that is on March 3, England Hockey celebrated the 70th anniversary of the first England women’s hockey international match at Wembley Stadium in 1951. Fast forward to 1978 at the very same stadium where thousands of fans came out to watch England take on the USA, which finished in a fast and exciting 2-2 result.
The USWNT has only been back to organized training since March 22 and hit the ground running. At The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pa., the squad underwent physical fitness testing, strength and conditioning sessions and pitch practices. Along with the inception of a completely new coaching staff, the team has had to adapt to new COVID-19 protocols and mandates.
With no spectators allowed in attendance at either venue, the FIH Hockey Pro League games will be live streamed on Watch.Hockey. For more information about the FIH Hockey Pro League visit the event page.
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