University of North Carolina Athletics
Hoffman Selected For National Team Debut In New Zealand
March 1, 2017 | Field Hockey
Ashley Hoffman, a UNC sophomore, is one of five Tar Heels selected for the U.S. National Team roster for the upcoming Hawke's Bay Cup March 31-April 9 in New Zealand. This will be the first National Team appearance for Hoffman, currently a member of the U.S. Under-21 team.
Four Tar Heel alums who are full-time members of the National Team also were named to the 19-player roster for this trip. They are Jackie Briggs, Katelyn Falgowski, Loren Shealy and Caitlin Van Sickle.
Falgowski is the most experienced player on the roster with a total of 234 international caps. Hoffman, a biology major from Mohnton, Pa., is one of six players seeking a first cap on this trip.
“I'm really excited for Ashley, “ said UNC coach Karen Shelton, herself a National Team veteran. “This has been a dream of hers for a long time and it was part of the plan when she came to Carolina, that she would continue to develop with an eye on her goal of playing for the National Team. It's wonderful to see that goal already coming to fruition.
“It's such a special thing to have the opportunity to play for the National Team, and to be following in the footsteps of her mother makes it even more significant.”
Hoffman's mother, Brenda, played for the National Team and represented U.S. in the 1984 Olympics, where she was a teammate of Shelton's.
Tar Heel seniors Lauren Moyer and Julia Young both are part of the National Team roster, but are in their final semester at UNC and will not be part of this trip. Both will graduate from UNC in May and join the National Team program at that point.
For a look at the entire roster, click here.
The U.S., currently 6th in the world rankings, will be joined by Australia (3rd), New Zealand (5th) and Japan (11th) at the competition in Hastings, New Zealand. For the event schedule, click here.
