With less than 100 days to go until the start of the 2023 Pan American Games (PAG), USA Field Hockey is pleased to share that four USA representatives have been selected to the technical staff.
Maggie Giddens and Benjamin Peters will be umpires, while Steve Horgan an umpire manager and Lurah Hess a technical official.
One of USA’s most prolific umpires, Giddens has been involved in every season of the FIH Hockey Pro League, even adding men’s matches to her résumé this year. She has officiated a total of 142 international outdoor matches and was the video umpire for 18. Her most recent appointments were the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Giddens is also a familiar face at the collegiate level and was appointed to the 2022 NCAA Division I Hockey Championship and was on the final game.
Peters was also recently appointed to officiate at the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, taking place December 5 to 16 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rising in the FIH ranks, he recently made the jump to the International Elite Panel for umpires. He has officiated in 69 international outdoor contests and was a video umpire in seven. His most recent international appointment was in December 2022 to the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Peters’ list of competitions he has officiated at is lengthy but includes a Youth Olympic Festival, FIH Hockey World Leagues, Junior Pan American Championship, CAC Games Qualifier, South American Games, Pan American Games, Pan American Cups, and many test series.
A field hockey official since 1983, Horgan has worked virtually every level of the game from club and high school contests to the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A member of the Pro League Panel for umpire managers, he most recently managed the 2023 Junior Pan American Championships in St. Michael, Barbados. He has also been involved in every season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.
Hess has been a technical official, judge or tournament director for more than 10 years now. She was critical in 2017 acting as a technical official at both the men’s and women’s Pan American Cups. Her most recent appointments were during the 2022 Pan American Cup as a technical delegate, FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 as a technical official and 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League as a match manager. She has been a judge for 58 international outdoor matches, technical delegate for 35 and technical official for 67.
“It’s exciting to be a part of a Pan American Games event as the athletes are competing at their highest levels to achieve their dream of qualifying for the Olympic Games. I’m grateful for the support from USA Field Hockey over my past 20+ years of umpiring and technical officiating at various sanctioned events which has provided technical officials with a solid foundation of practical experience. The National Club Championship, National Futures, and the old Women's National Championship and summer leagues were all key events to building my umpiring foundation and hockey network. We are fortunate in the USA to have so many hockey opportunities and people who are passionate about the sport."
“Officiating at a tournament where Olympic qualification is on the line for the participating teams is both a highlight for the officials involved and clear recognition of the high regard in which they are held given the importance of the event,” said Sean Rapaport, USA Field Hockey’s Director of Umpiring. “We are fortunate to have four fantastic officials representing USA Field Hockey on and along the side of the pitch. We congratulate and wish Ben, Lurah, Maggie and Steve the best of luck.”
