Passmore Establishes FIH Hockey Pro League Traveling Roster for Matches in New Zealand & Australia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a 12-day training camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach David Passmore and coaching staff have named the 24-athlete traveling roster that will head to New Zealand and Australia for USA’s first leg of the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League season.

“It was good to work with all the USWNT athletes in Chula Vista, some for the first time, in our recent Training Camp,” said Passmore. “This camp provided the basis for the team selection although regrettably academic restrictions have impacted some athlete’s availability for this tour being so long. We have made steady progress over the past couple of months although  acutely aware the standard and intensity of recent [FIH Hockey] Pro League matches will provide a big jump in standard and intensity.”

“I have been massively impressed by the attitude and mindset of the group and we have worked hard to develop a strong and robust team culture along with tactical playing frameworks. There is a clear desire from the team to improve and perform and some of the younger athletes have really stepped up in this respect which is reflected in the young age of the squad. The match schedule will be challenging with long travel, large time differences and finishing with four matches in five days against the No. 2 and 3 ranked teams in the world.”

No. 16 USWNT will play eight matches, two against No. 2 Argentina, No. 3 Australia, No. 9 New Zealand and No. 10 China each.

The younger athletes that have been selected to travel include Josie Hollamon (Delmar, Del.) and Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), who both will be earning their first international cap for Team USA. They are coupled with veteran co-captains Amanda (née Magadan) Golini (Randolph, N.J.) and Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.) who boost a wealth of experience leading the squad. Although 24 athletes are traveling to New Zealand and Argentina, only 18 will be selected prior to each game to compete.

Olivia Bent-Cole (Philadelphia, Pa.), Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas), Sanne Caarls (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands), Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Va.), Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Amanda (née Magadan) Golini (Randolph, N.J.), Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.), Ally Hammel (Duxbury, Mass.), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.), Josie Hollamon (Delmar, Del.), Karlie Kisha (Hamburg, Pa.), Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pa.), Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.), Megan Rodgers (San Diego, Calif.), Ashley Sessa (Schwenksville, Pa.), Meredith Sholder (Fleetwood, Pa.), Cassie Sumfest (Lewisburg, Pa.), Julianna Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.), Beth Yeager (Greenwich, Conn.), Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.)

Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Charlotte de Vries (Malvern, Pa.) and Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.) will join the USWNT for the second leg in Australia.

The format of the fourth season of the FIH Hockey Pro League changed and was announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in March 2022. The season, which will run from October 2022 to July 2023, will be divided into a series of date blocks to assist with international and domestic competition planning, within which “mini tournaments” will be played where several teams will gather in one venue to play two matches against each other.

The first four matches will take place in Wellington, New Zealand., with the next four to be held in Hobart, Australia.

The No. 16 USWNT hasn’t played in organized competition since the end of the previous FIH Hockey Pro League season in June 2022. With the Pan American Games set for October, Passmore and his staff will utilize these games to prepare the squad for hopeful Olympic Games qualification.

The FIH Hockey Pro League games will be live streamed on Watch.Hockey (PPV). For more information about the FIH Hockey Pro League visit the event page.

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