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The US women’s field hockey team is going back to the Olympics
The U.S. women’s field hockey team has secured a spot in the upcoming Olympics in Paris this summer, a redemption after not qualifying for the Tokyo Games. They ensured their place in the 12-team tournament by defeating Japan 2-1 in the semifinals of a final-chance qualifier held in India, where the top three nations earn Olympic berths. Ashley Hoffman and Abby Tamer scored goals in the fourth quarter to surpass the Japanese team.
Ranked 12th globally, the U.S. has maintained an undefeated record of 4-0 in the current tournament, triumphing over three higher-ranked teams: India (No. 6), New Zealand (11), and Japan (9).
In the event of a loss to Japan, the U.S. would have had a final opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics through a third-place game against either India or Germany (ranked fifth in the world). The U.S. has a historical Olympic record of one medal, securing bronze in 1984, followed by an eighth-place finish in the 1988 Seoul Games.
After missing Olympic qualification until 2008 (except for automatic entry as the host nation in 1996), the U.S. participated in three consecutive Games from 2008 to 2016, achieving their best result of fifth place.
In the Tokyo Olympic qualification, India narrowly defeated the U.S. with a 6-5 victory in a two-leg aggregate during the Americans’ final opportunity to secure a spot.
None of the 18 players on the roster for this week’s qualifying event have previous Olympic experience. The eldest member is 28-year-old Karlie Kisha. The Olympic roster, consisting of 16 players and up to three alternates, is yet to be announced.
Notably, Erin Matson, a prominent figure in U.S. field hockey, did not participate in the national team this year. During her time at North Carolina, she achieved success with four NCAA Championships and garnered three NCAA Player of the Year awards from 2018 to 2022.
In 2023, she assumed the role of head coach and, in November, achieved the distinction of becoming one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA history across all sports to secure a national title.
In a statement from November reported by Olympics.com, she mentioned, “The door (to playing for Team USA) is not closed, but it’s not open. If the stars align and there’s a possibility, you know, to do it someday and represent my country again, then my athletic director, he knows if we can make it work and if it’s the right timing with the right people, with the right resources, you know, then let’s do it.”
Correction: A previous version of this post included incorrect world rankings for the teams in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
