Northwestern field hockey players claiming success with Team USA

After winning the national championship in 2021 and finishing as the country’s runners-up in 2022, the talent of Northwestern field hockey is being recognized on the global scale.

On May 30, four Wildcats were selected to play for the 2023-24 U.S. Women’s National Team: senior Lauren Wadas, senior Maddie Zimmer, fifth-year Alia Marshall and incoming first-year Olivia Bent-Cole. The four joined 30 other teammates and will play under head coach David Passmore — and their own head coach, with Tracey Fuchs serving as an assistant for Team USA — competing in eight mini-tournaments against Great Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Among the Northwestern contingent, Zimmer is the sole ‘Cat on the USWNT’s FIH Hockey Pro League Europe traveling roster, which is composed of 24 of the 34 players on the larger National Team. Action begins on Saturday, June 17 as the U.S. takes on The Netherlands at 6:40 a.m. CT in London, England.

However, those aren’t the only ‘Cats garnering achievements across the field hockey world. On Saturday, senior goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz won a gold medal in the Hockey5s Pan American Cups, defeating Uruguay in a challenge shootout. Skubisz was substituted into the net to start the second half of the contest, which took place in Kingston, Jamaica.

With Northwestern yet to unveil its 2023 field hockey roster, it will be intriguing to see how several Wildcats are able to leverage competing against some of the best in the world, let alone if any players’ availability will be impacted due to a commitment to international competition. Nonetheless, Fuchs will certainly take solace in NU’s representation across borders.