University of North Carolina Athletics
Four Tar Heels Help U.S. Team To Eighth Place In Chile
December 6, 2016 | Field Hockey
The U.S. Under-21 National Team, including four players from the 2016 North Carolina roster, wrapped up play Sunday in Chile at the Junior World Cup with an eighth-place finish in the 16-team field. Tar Heels Ashley Hoffman, Gab Major, Lauren Moyer and Julia Young played for the U.S. team.
“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to watch our Tar Heels compete as part of the U.S. team,” said UNC coach Karen Shelton, who traveled to Santiago, Chile for the tournament. “To fly to Chile right after we finished the season and compete against an incredibly tough field was certainly a challenge for them, but it was also an experience they'll never forget. Going against the best in the world always makes you stronger, and there's nothing like the honor of representing your country in international competition.”
The U.S. finished second in Pool A with wins over Zimbabwe (10-0) and Korea (3-2) and a loss to the Netherlands (5-1). The U.S. then fell to Argentina in the quarterfinals, 2-1, and closed out play with losses to Belgium (2-1) and England (3-1).
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Young, the U.S. team captain, and Moyer were seniors on the 2016 UNC squad, Major was a junior and Hoffman a sophomore. They departed with the rest of the U.S. team from Norfolk, Va., on Nov. 20 following UNC's loss to Delaware in the NCAA championship game. Carolina senior Kristy Bernatchez also was selected for the team but was unable to travel after she was injured in the NCAA semifinal.
