July 3, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Nittany Lion midfielder/forward Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) has been named to the 2013 USA Field Hockey Junior World Cup roster by head coach Steve Jennings. The team will compete at the event in Monchengladbach, Germany from July 27 through August 4.
"The Junior World Cup is the biggest international field hockey tournament for U-21s, so I feel very honored to have the opportunity to represent the U.S." said Gebhart. "We hope to make it onto the medal stand to set a precedent for what we want the future of our program to be."
The selection process for the team was a long process that spanned the Women's National Championship, U-21 Women's National Championship, Futures Elite Championship and National Futures Championship. 34 players were chosen out of those competitions to attend the Junior National Camp. From there, the roster was cut to 18 players who will represent the USA in the competition.
"We have selected a very talented squad and are excited to see their potential unfold over the coming weeks," said Jennings. "It will be a big challenge but the skill, speed and unity of our team will represent us in great fashion."
The Donegal High product is no stranger to representing the USA in international competitions, as Gebhart served as a captain on the U-21 team at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival and then got called up to the 2013-14 U.S. Women's National Field Hockey squad at the end of May this year. Gebhart joins Teresa Benvenuti and Emily Wold as the only three players that feature both on the U.S. Women's National Team and the Junior World Cup roster.
The USA will play in Pool A of the 16-team tournament. The other three nations joining the U.S. in Pool A are the Netherlands, Korea and Ghana. Argentina, China, South Africa and Canada make up Pool B and Pool C features New Zealand, Australia, India and Russia. The final four teams of England, Germany, Belgium and Spain will compete in Pool D.
The U.S. will play its opening game against Korea on July 27 and then turnaround and play the Netherlands on July 28. The squad will wrap up pool play against Ghana on July 30.
Gebhart and the rest of the U.S. squad will leave for the Netherlands on July 17 for final practice sessions before the tournament begins in Monchengladbach. The squad will play one friendly in Germany against New Zealand before pool play begins on July 27.
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The following athletes have been selected to the 2013 Junior World Cup Team:
Teresa Benvenuti (Morristown, N.J.), Lauren Blazing (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Marie-Elena Bolles (Phoenixville, Pa.), Emma Bozek (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.), Samantha Carlino (Kennett Square, Pa.), Anna Dessoye (Mountain Top, Pa.), Maxine Fluharty (Millsboro, Del.), Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.), Katie Gerzabek (Springfield, Pa.), Kelsey Harbin (Escondido, Cali.), Georgia Holland (Stony Brook, N.Y.), Aileen Johnson (Oceanport, N.J.), Ainsley McCallister (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Nikki Parsley (Milford, Del.), Hannah Prince (Gorham, Maine), Kelsey Smither (Suffolk, Va.), Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.), Emily Wold (Freehold, N.J.)