Yep, read that top header again.
Today’s announcement from USA Field Hockey shows a group of 37 — yep, 37 — players from whom David Passmore will be selecting for various teams over the course of the next few months. This includes play in next month’s FIH Nations Cup as well as other competitions leading towards the 2028 Olympics.
It’s a roster which has a lot of the best players that we’ve seen at the national and international levels over the last few seasons.
If there are three players you should keep an eye on, here they are:
- Reese D’Ariano. The youngest player on this roster, she will be joining the senior squad from indoor duty as she is part of a team playing at the World Cup in Croatia
- Makenna Webster. A two-sport star who is currently not only on the field hockey team, but the ice hockey team at Ohio State. This OSU team is currently the No. 2 team in all the land.
- Charlotte de Vries. The Syracuse graduate has been training and playing overseas, paying her dues to get back with the U.S. side, with whom she played during a half-dozen FIH Pro League contests.
Sure, the U.S. side is solid in many aspects of play, including having the likes of Ashley Sessa, Hope Rose, Abby Tamer, Beth Yeager, Phia Gladieux, and Olivia Bent-Cole on attack. On defense, you have to like Maddie Zimmer, Lauren Wadas, Meredith Sholder, Ashley Hoffman, and Josie Hollamon in front of goalie Kelsey Bing.
Thing is, with a large roster, you get the feeling that there are going to be some split duties — it’s conceivable that the same roster that is formed to qualify for the Pro League may wind up being different from the roster that will actually be competing in it.
And, if nothing else, the full-field scrimmages should be something to watch.