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Four Cavaliers Complete International Tours
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four members of the Virginia field hockey team recently completed tours with U.S. National Teams, garnering key international experience.
Juniors Paige Selenski (Shavertown, Pa.) and Michelle Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) recently embarked on a two-part tour to Argentina, competing in two separate Four Nations Tournaments. The duo has spent the 2010-11 year training with the U.S. National Team in preparation for the Champions Challenge in June and the Pan American Games in October.
The U.S. squad placed third in the first of two Four Nations Tournaments, which was held in Mendoza, Argentina. Team USA dropped the first match to Argentina (5-0) before rebounding with a 1-0 victory over Australia. The third contest was a 3-1 setback to Germany before a rematch in the final game. A 2-2 tie forced the final match into strokes, where the U.S. was able to claim a 3-2 win to place third; Selenski notched a goal in that contest.
The second Four Nations Tournament, held in Rosano, Argentina, saw the Americans take second place. After a 3-0 win over Germany, the U.S. squad fell to Argentina, 4-1, though Selenski scored the lone goal. Team USA rebounded with a 3-1 win over Australia, where again Selenski scored, to face Argentina again in the championship game. Argentina went on to win 4-1 as the U.S. placed second. Selenski finished the tour with four goals after scoring in the title contest.
Junior Rachel Jennings (Macungie, Pa.) and sophomore Tara Puffenberger (Dallas, Pa.) returned from Ireland and Germany on a tour with the United States Under-21 Team.
The U.S. U-21 squad was selected at the 2010 Junior National Camp and completed a training weekend at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., in early January. After a two sessions in Maryland, the squad departed for the European Tour.
The Americans started off in Dublin, Ireland, vs. the Irish Junior National Team, tying both games 2-2. The contests were played at the National Hockey Stadium at the University College Dublin.
Team USA then went 2-1 against the German Junior National Team, winning the last two games 5-1 and 3-2. The two teams competed at Warsteiner Hockey Park in Monchengladbach, Germany.