June 19, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University is set to host a pair of exhibition matches on Wednesday and Thursday between the United States Olympic field hockey team and Argentina at the Powhatan Sports Complex. Admission for both matches is free of charge.
Wednesday is set for a 5 p.m. start while Thursday’s match is slated to begin at 8 p.m. The four-game series between the U.S. and Argentina began on Monday night at the University of Virginia with a 1-1 tie. Argentina is ranked No. 2 in the world, while the U.S. stands at No. 10.
The 16-women nominated to the Olympic Team plus two replacement athletes will complete their Virginia tour on Saturday, June 23 at the U.S. National Training Center in Virginia Beach in a match that will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. An Olympic celebration will follow at 6:30 p.m. ET, which will formally recognize and celebrate the U.S. Olympic Women's Field Hockey Team. Tickets are still available to the public and can be purchased on usafieldhockey.com.
The team will depart for London on July 21. All nominations to the U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee board of directors. The U.S. has been drawn into a challenging pool made up of No. 2 Argentina, No. 3 Germany, No. 6 New Zealand, No. 7 Australia and No. 12 South Africa. The U.S. will open Pool B play at the Olympic Games with a face-off against Germany on Sunday, July 29. From there, the U.S. will advance to their next opponents in the tournament - Argentina, then Australia, New Zealand and close the preliminary rounds with South Africa on Monday, August 6. The women's first semi-final will take place on Wednesday, August 8. The gold-medal round commences on Friday, August 10.
Former CAA Player of the Year and 2008 Olympian Caroline Nichols (Virginia Beach, Va.) was named to the 16-member Olympic team and will head to London in July, announced by U.S. head coach Lee Bodimeade last week. The U.S. will look to record their first Olympic medal since 1984, after finishing eighth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Nichols, who is a 2007 graduate of Old Dominion and majored in biology with an emphasis in secondary education, became the first CAA player ever to win the CAA Player of the Year and the CAA Defender of the Year in the same season in 2006. A defender, Nichols has earned her second consecutive bid to the Olympic team after playing for the United State in Beijing in 2008.
Current ODU assistant coach Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.) and rising senior back and co-captain Christy Longacre (Bethlehem, Pa.) were both named to the U.S. Women’s National Development Squad. Smither, an All-CAA First Team selection in both her junior and senior seasons, competed in 93 games during her four-year career. She started 84 games and registered 62 career points. Old Dominion won a total of 60 games during Smither's career and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions. Longacre was an All-CAA Tournament selection in 2011 after starting in 22 games and scoring six goals with three assists for 15 point on 53 shots. She scored the game-winning goal in ODU’s 3-1 upset win at No. 1 North Carolina on Sept. 16.
Current ODU players Kati Nearhouse (Nanticoke, Pa.) and Kelsey Smither (Suffolk, Va.) were both named to the U.S. Under-21 team and will now begin training for the Junior Pan American games and the Junior World Cup later this year.
ODU will also be hosting the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Final Fours at the Powhatan Sports Complex. Tickets for the event go on sale on Wednesday and will be available for purchase at both exhibition matches.