USA women's head coach Lee Bodimeade has added midfielder Sarah Dawson (Berlin, N.J.) to the USA's Pan American Games roster after an injury sidelined forward Dina Risso (Walpole, Mass.).
The women's hockey tournament of the Pan American Games is scheduled for 15-24 July in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
A member of the U.S. 2006 World Cup team and 2007 Champions Challenge team and owner of 46 international appearances, Dawson joins the 16-player roster just prior to the USA's departure for the Games. She replaces Rizzo - a silver medalist at the 2003 Pan American Games - who suffered a leg injury at the Champions Challenge in June and could not be cleared to play prior to the start of the Pan Am tournament.
The USA begins play in the eight-team tournament on 15 July against the Netherlands Antilles.
The winner of the Pan Am Games earns the continent's automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In addition, teams placing 2-6 in the women's tournament will earn spots in one of three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in early 2008. The winners of the three qualifying tournaments will earn the final three berths in the 2008 Olympic Games.
Dawson joins a U.S. team that includes her younger sister Rachel as well as Pan Am verterans Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Keli Smith (Selsinsgrove, Pa.) and 2006 WorldHockey All-Star goalkeeper Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.).
The team also includes Kayla Bashore (Shoemakersville, Pa.), Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.), Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa.), Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, Pa.), Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa.), Lauren Powley (Mountaintop, Pa.) and Tiffany Snow (Escondido, Calif.), Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa.), Michelle Kasold (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Dana Sensenig (Denver, Pa.)
The USA enters the Pan American Games as the No. 2 seed and will begin play in Pool B with Canada, Cuba and the Netherlands Antilles. Pool A features defending champion Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and host Brazil.
The USA women have won medals in each Pan Am Games since the women's tournament was added to the quadrennial event in 1987. The U.S. women won silver medals in 1987, 1995, 1999 and 2003 and a bronze medal in 1991. Argentina has won all five previous women's Pan Am Games tournaments.
Source: USA Field Hockey
