USFHA: The USA women’s team will begin its pursuit of a spot in the 2006 Women's World Cup when the it competes at the Samsung Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Rome, Italy.
The top five teams from the 12-team tournament will qualify for the Samsung Hockey World Cup from 27 September -7 October in Madrid, Spain.
Continental champions Argentina, Australia, India, Netherlands, and South Africa have already earned spots in the World Cup along with Olympic champion Germany and host Spain.
Seeded sixth at tournament, the USA will open play against Ireland on April 25 before meeting New Zealand on April 27. The team resumes pool play against host Italy on April 29 before taking on Azerbaijan on 1 May 1 and concluding pool play 2 May against Korea.
"Each game that we have in the qualifier presents us with unique situations," said USA coach Lee Bodimeade.
"We have the difficulty of Ireland, who are ranked just one position behind us; New Zealand, now ranked in the top 6 six in the world; Italy with their home town support; an unknown quantity in Azerbaijan and then we finish with the highly rated Koreans.
“When you get to this level, there is no such thing as an easy game. Then again, maybe I should be hoping that the other teams are seeing us as an easy game. Then we might catch a couple of teams off their guard."
In addition to the USA's Pool B foes, Pool A teams China, Japan, England, Ukraine, Scotland and France will be seeking to secure one of the five available qualifying berths.
'Our focus has never been on the draw,' said Bodimeade on the USA's Pool B opponents. 'It has been, and still is, on our preparation for the tournament so that we are in the best possible position to be one of the teams that qualify.'
The USA will begin its preparations for the tournament in early February when the team opens its winter training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
The team's pre-qualifier schedule includes a four-game series against Dutch club Klein Zwitzerland on 13-14 February in Chula Vista before heading to Argentina for a four-nation tournament with Germany, Ireland and Argentina from 15-19 March.
"Qualification is going to be difficult but the squad is looking forward to the challenge," said Bodimeade. "We will certainly be ready when the tournament begins."
