July 7, 2005
NORFOLK, Va. -- Three former Lady Monarch field hockey players, Honda Award winner Tiffany Snow (Escondido, Calif.), CAA Player of the Year Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa.), and CAA defender of the Year Melissa Leonetti (Erdehiem, Pa.), along with the other members of the US National Field Hockey team will participate in the Rabobank Championship Challenge held at the National Training Center in Virginia Beach on July 8th - 16th.
Initiatiated in 2001, the Rabobank Champions Challenge is one of the International Hockey Federation's premier events. The tournament traditionally features the teams ranked 7th-12th in the world as determined by finishes in the most recent Olympic Games (and Olympic QualifyingTournament) or World Cup (and World Cup Qualifier). In addition to an automatic spot for the host nation, the tournament field also includes the team ranked sixth (last) at the previous Champions Trophy.
Held every two years, the Champions Challenge is one of the top events on the international hockey calendar joining the World Cup, Olympic Games and Champions Trophy as the sport's most coveted titles. The winner of the Rabobank Champions Challenge automatically qualifies for the 2006 Champions Trophy featuring the world's top six teams. The 2006 Champions Trophy isscheduled for July 8-16 in Amstelveen, The Netherlands.
The tournament marks the return of a major international field hockey event to the United States for the first times since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In addition to the Olympic Tournament, the USA hosted the 1989 men's World Cup qualifier (Intercontinental Cup) in Madison, New Jersey, and the 1993 women's World Cup qualifier in Philadelphia.
Tiffany Snow ('03) has been a member of the national squad since 2003 and helped the U.S to a sixth place finish at the 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Earlier this season, she led the national team in scoring during 2005 series with New Zealand and Australia with five goals. Snow culminated a great career at Old Dominion by winning the Honda Award as the nation's most outstanding field hockey player in the fall of 2002 and as a senior tied for second in the nation in points, second in the nation in goals scored, and 11th in Division I play in assists. She was named First Team All-American and First Team All-South Region for two straight years and was the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year and the CAA Tournament's Most Valuable Player in 2002. Her name is still found in the record books ranking seventh on the Old Dominion all-time goals leader list with 71 career goals and seventh on the all-time points leaders list with 182.
Completing her collegiate career at Old Dominion in 2003, Loy earned All-America first team honors for two straight seasons and was named the 2003 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year, 2003 CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and the 2000 CAA Rookie of the Year. Additionally, she is one of a handful of Lady Monarch field hockey student-athletes to have earned National Academic Squad honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association for four straight seasons. She scored 77 career goals at ODU to rank fifth all-time, made 56 assists to rank ninth all-time, and accumulated a total of 210 career points to rank fourth all-time at ODU. Loy has been apart of the national team since 2003 participating in the 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2004 Pan American Cup.
A former fiery leader of the Old Dominion defense, Leonetti's ('03) career as a Lady Monarch included two All-America honors and the distinction of being named the 2003 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year. For her career, Leonetti amassed 14 goals, 38 assists, and 66 points and was a two-time First Team All-CAA selection, a two-time First Team All-South Region pick, and was a three-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Academic Honor Roll. In the backfield she helped the Lady Monarchs to 35 shutouts. She has been a member of the US National Team since 2003 and participated at the 2004 Pan American Cup.
Tickets available at venue beginning July 8 and at the gate the day of the game. For more information about the team and the tournament log onto www.usfieldhockey.com.