COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – March 1, 2017 – Nineteen athletes from the U.S. Women’s National Team were selected by Janneke Schopman, USWNT Head Coach, to represent the United States at the Hawke’s Bay Cup from Sunday, March 31 to Friday April, 9. The tournament, hosted in Hastings, New Zealand, will act an integral pitch primer for Team USA’s stacked summer schedule of competition including July’s FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in Johannesburg, South Africa and August’s Pan American Cup in Lancaster, Pa. While abroad, the squad will contend in two pre-event matches against New Zealand National Team on Monday, March 27 and Tuesday, March 28 in Christchurch.

Gathering at Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park to vie for the cup alongside Team USA (Hero FIH World Rank 6) are Australia (Hero FIH World Rank 3), New Zealand (Hero FIH World Rank 5) and Japan (Hero FIH World Rank 11). The event schedule can be viewed by clicking here. 

The USWNT is coming off of an extended training block on the west coast where Schopman was able to develop the tour's roster which includes the addition of two junior high performance athletes. Including these two athletes, six USWNT members will be earning their first international cap at the senior level.  

"After a great month of training in California I am happy to announce the team that will travel to New Zealand," said Schopman. "The games we play there will give us much needed experience on the international level and show us on which areas we need to focus moving forward to World League Semifinals in July. Two players in the selection are selected from the U.S. U-21 Women's National Team for this tour. Both Erin Matson and Ashley Hoffman have showed me their continued progress and I am giving them the opportunity to show their potential with the senior team."  

2017 USWNT’s Hawke’s Bay Cup Roster:

LAUREN BLAZING #22 | GOALKEEPER 2 CAPS DURHAM, NC	JACKIE BRIGGS #31 | GOALKEEPER 142 CAPS ROBESONIA, PA	ALI CAMPBELL #30 | DEFENDER 21 CAPS GILBERTSVILLE, PA	ANNA DESSOYE #17 | MIDFIELDER 0 CAPS MOUNTAINTOP, PA
AMANDA DINUNZIO #15 | MIDFIELDER 0 CAPS STATE COLLEGE, PA	KATELYN FALGOWSKI #23 | MIDFIELDER 234 CAPS LANDENBERG, PA	ALI FROEDE #20 | DEFENDER 6 CAPS BURKE, VA	MELISSA GONZALEZ #5 | MIDFIELDER 190 CAPS MOHEGAN LAKE, NY
ASHLEY HOFFMAN #13 | DEFENDER 0 CAPS MOHNTON, PA	ALYSSA MANLEY #29 | DEFENDER 41 CAPS LITITZ, PA	ERIN MATSON #1 | MIDFIELDER 0 CAPS CHADDS FORD, PA	ALYSSA PARKER #8 | MIDFIELDER 0 CAPS WOODBINE, MD
KATHLEEN SHARKEY #24 | STRIKER 91 CAPS MOOSIC, PA	LOREN SHEALY #4 | STRIKER 6 CAPS CHARLOTTE, NC	CAITLIN VAN SICKLE #28 | DEFENDER 68 CAPS WILMINGTON, DE	MICHELLE VITTESE #9 | MIDFIELDER 164 CAPS CHERRY HILL, NJ
TAYLOR WEST #11 | MIDFIELDER 0 CAPS POCOMOKE, MD	ALESHA WIDDALL #6 | GOALKEEPER 43 CAPS WHITNEY POINT, NY	JILL WITMER #10 | STRIKER 87 CAPS LANCASTER, PA