Team USA 2020 FIH Women's Pro League Season Preview, Schedule, How to Watch
Jan 23, 2020
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Danielle Grega of USA in action during the Women's FIH Field Hockey Pro League match between Great Britain and USA at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on April 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images for FIH)
The United States Women's National Field Hockey Team begins play in the 2020 FIH Women's Pro League this weekend. It's the second season for both the Pro League as a whole and Team USA competing in it.
After a disappointing finish in the inaugural season of the league last year, the young American squad gained valuable experience in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers as well as at the Pan American Games, where they won a bronze medal, that could serve them well for a better all-around performance in this edition of the Pro League.
Below you can find everything you need to know about Team USA and the FIH Women's Pro League before the 2020 season begins, including what's new, the Americans' full schedule and world ranking, how to watch and stream every game, players to watch, team highlights and how the league works.
Team USA and the FIH Pro League: What's new in 2020
In short, a lot. The second season of the Pro League will look very different than the first, both on a league-wide scale as well as within the United States team.
Let's start with the Americans. Team USA announced Caroline Nelson-Nichols as its new head coach in December, about a month after former head coach Janneke Schopman was fired. A former defender, Nelson-Nichols played in 165 games for the USWNT from 2007 to 2014, including competing in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She had been the head coach at Columbia University since 2015.
"As a player coming up in the ranks, I think you always think how great it would be to represent your country as an athlete," Nelson-Nichols told B/R Live. "I felt really passionate about coaching, and I've dived into the profession...I can't say that I ever scripted the journey the way that it's gone, although I'm incredibly excited about the way that it's gone, and I'm totally honored to be able to lead Team USA."
The offseason turnover was not limited to the American coaching staff. Three players with a total of 472 international appearances announced their retirements in the last two months, leaving an already young team without three of its most experienced players.
Team captain and striker Kathleen Sharkey retired on Jan. 23 after 176 appearances for the team, which included the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the 2019 Pan American Games, where she scored four goals and led Team USA to the bronze. Caitlin Van Sickle, a reliable veteran defender, retired on Dec. 16 after recording 148 caps during her Team USA career, which also included the 2016 Rio Olympics. Another member of that Olympic team, striker Jill Funk, retired on Jan. 8 also finishing with 148 caps. Funk helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2017 FIH World League in South Africa, where she led the tournament in scoring.
Team USA will also have a new home field for Pro League games in 2020. The squad will play all of its home games at the University of North Carolina's Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The change comes as a result of the outdoor stadium at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pennsylvania failing to meet new FIH requirements for its venues and turf.
The pitch at Spooky Nook was also the subject of a petition filed by both the American men's and women's teams, which called it unusable and unsafe. That petition further criticized the teams' facilities, noting poor nutrition, medical care, uniforms and financial support. Still, the organization remains based in, and the women train at, Spooky Nook, where the domed indoor pitch remains in good condition.
However, in moving to Chapel Hill for games, the venue will be familiar territory for some of the team. Both Ashley Hoffman and Lauren Moyer played there so that familiarity should make the adjustment to a new home field for the 2020 season much smoother. You can learn more about Shelton Stadium here.
Speaking of home stadiums, easily the largest overall change from Year 1 to Year 2 in the FIH Pro League is the elimination of the home-and-home schedule design. In an effort to reduce travel during an Olympic Year, teams will no longer play every team at home once and on the road once. Instead, one team will host both games played between them, which will take place across the same weekend.
Team USA 2020 FIH Pro League Schedule, Team Rankings
The United States is one of nine teams competing in the Women's Pro League this season. Below are the teams in order of the most recent world rankings, which includes 75 total countries.
1. Netherlands 2. Australia 3. Argentina 4. Germany 5. Great Britain 6. New Zealand 10. China 12. Belgium 13. United States
While the home-and-home adjustment was made to the schedule, the number of games does not change. Team USA will still play eight home games and eight road games, beginning Jan. 26 and ending June 7. The Americans' full schedule is below (all times eastern).
United States vs. Netherlands
Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. | This game will be worth double points to make up for the cancellation of the first game, originally scheduled for Friday, Jan. 24. That game was called off after Team USA manager and assistant coach Larry Amar died earlier in the week.
Argentina vs. United States
Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8, both at 4 p.m.
New Zealand vs. United States
Friday, Feb. 14 at 11 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m.
United States vs. China
Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11, both at 2 p.m.
United States vs. Australia
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, both at 2 p.m.
Belgium vs. United States
Friday, May 15 at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 at 8 a.m.
Great Britain vs. United States
Sunday, May 24 at 9 a.m. and Monday, May 25 at 8 a.m.
United States vs. Germany
Friday, June 5 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m.
Team USA Players to Watch
In 2019, the United States women competed in the inaugural FIH Women's Pro League, Pan American Games and FIH Olympic Qualifiers, yielding extremely valuable international experience for a young team. And in 2020, the team will lean on its young core again, with those who broke out last season looking to take that next step in their development.
"Every player has really surpassed my expectations," Nelson-Nichols said. "Looking at each of these athletes that are continuing to grow and show a lot of potential for future success, I've been really happy that the entire team -- every individual in our group -- looks to be reinventing the player they want to be moving forward. With that, the strength of what we do is going to be in our whole collective group."
Nelson-Nichols built the roster after a trial at the beginning of the year and commended the returning players' ability to mesh with new additions. You can find the full roster here. She added that 2019 standouts like Erin Matson, Mackenzie Allessie and Margaux Paulino, who are all still in college, chose to focus on their academics during this semester and will have the opportunity to rejoin the squad in the future. Below are a few players who will be keys to success for the United States this Pro League season.
Danielle Grega
Grega was the leading scorer for the U.S. in the Pro League last season, scoring four goals from her midfield position. With only 28 career appearances for the team, that annual goal total could grow very quickly as she gets more time on the pitch.
Another midfielder with just 28 caps, Gonzales scored two goals in the league and added the winning penalty shot to seal one of the team's victories last season.
The pair of midfielders provided big sparks for the U.S. in 2019, with Moyer tallying three goals in the league and Magadan scoring twice in the nearly-epic comeback in Olympic qualifying. Both have played in more than 70 international games, giving the Americans reliability in the middle along with dynamic scoring quality.
With the roster turnover, defender Ali Froede becomes the player with the most international appearances on the team at 91. She'll lead the backline while Hoffman, a midfielder who will get her 69th cap once the Pro League begins again, will bring strong experience and presence to the midfield.
How to Watch Team USA in the 2020 FIH Women's Pro League
The Women's FIH Pro League returns in 2020 to B/R Live, where fans can watch every Team USA game live and stream full replays on-demand.
Subscribe to the B/R Live Pass to watch all of the action featuring the American squad this season. The pass is $9.99 per month and includes every FIH game as well as access to stream nearly all other sports content on B/R Live, including leagues like UEFA Champions League, National Lacrosse League, All Elite Wrestling and more.
Fans can also stream each Team USA match on an individual basis for $2.99, which includes access to both the live game and the full replay.
For more information on watching Team USA and to get the B/R Live Pass, go here. FIH Pro League matches are available to stream on B/R Live to fans in the United States and Canada.
How the FIH Women's Pro League Works
There are nine teams competing in the Women's FIH Pro League in 2020. Every team will play the other teams twice, with an equal number of home and away matches. Teams receive three points for a win in regulation and zero for a loss. If regulation ends in a tie, each team receives one point, and a penalty shootout decides the winner. That winning team earns one bonus point, giving it a total of two for the game.
The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the Pro League. With the Olympics later this summer, there will be no Grand Final this season to determine a winner. Last year, the final four teams at the end of the regular season reached the Grand Final—semifinals and a final—for the league title, eventually won by the Netherlands.
And with the Olympic field set for Tokyo 2020, the stakes for the Pro League revolve around ranking points. More match wins and higher finishes in the standings mean more ranking points and eventually better seedings for the large tournaments, like the World Cup in 2022 and Olympics in 2024.
