Paige Selenski has been a stalwart of the USA team for five years now. The 23-year-old forward first played for the national team in 2009 and since then she played in the 2012 Olympics, and was also a member of the team that won the Pan American Cup; a result that sent shockwaves through the hockey world as they beat Argentina in the 2011 final. Most recently she scored the USA's opening goal in the final of the Champions Challenge 1 against Ireland, a match that her team went on to win, ensuring qualification for the Champions Trophy in 2016.
Paige is one of a new breed of American players who have an incredibly strong work ethic and a determination to turn hockey into a major sport in the USA – particularly for girls and women. Paige herself first picked up a stick when she was a junior at Dallas High School, Pennsylvania, and she went on to study at the University of Virginia, where she was top scorer for three consecutive seasons. She has since taken time out from studies to concentrate on her international hockey career. "Being able to focus on being an elite athlete, without needing to worry about studies, essays and exams is a real bonus," said Paige.
Known for her turbo-like speed and the strength of her stick skills, Paige is rapidly gaining a reputation as a top forward on the international scene. Although only in her early 20s, Paige has more than 120 caps to her name since her official jump to the U.S. Women's National Team in 2009.
Paige is just one of a number of women's national team members whose origins lie in Pennsylvania State, also known as the Keystone State. The women’s Olympic squad of 2012 had nine of 16 players from the Keystone State and Pennsylvanians account for numerous players currently on the National Team, the Development Squad and the U-21 and U-19 teams of the Women’s Junior Squad.
Other Pennsylvanians competing in The Hague include captain Lauren Crandall, Katelyn Falgowski, Katie O’Donnell,
and Katie Reinprecht. All of these players, including Paige also appeared in the London Olympics. "We know we’re better than what we did at the Olympics,” said Paige, who scored the last USA goal in London. On that occasion the USA finished a disappointing 12th, but since then a new coaching team has been appointed and it seems to be having an impact.
Craig Parnham, who was part of the coaching team that steered Great Britain to bronze in London 2012 is now head coach of Team USA, and he has experienced Dutch player Janneke Schopman as his assistant. The new look team sees the World Cup as the first real opportunity to show how far the team has progressed in the past two years.
The United States will play in Pool B along with second-seeded Argentina, third-seeded England, Germany, China and South Africa. Host Netherlands, the top-ranked team, is in Pool A with Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan and Belgium.
“The World Cup and Olympic Games are the two most significant tournaments in international field hockey,” said Parnham. “Both tournaments traditionally feature the top-12 ranked teams in the world. In addition, both tournaments only come around every four years and there is a long and highly contested qualification process.
“To qualify for a World Cup and Olympic Games is not an easy journey and I must commend the players for qualifying for this World Cup.”
The U.S. women finished sixth in the 2006 World Cup but did not qualify in 2010.
