Sept. 5, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Four former Maryland field hockey players have been selected for U.S. Field Hockey's national team residency 2003-04. Katie Kauffman-Beach (Maryland '97), Carissa Messimer (Maryland '03), Dina Rizzo (Maryland '02) and Kelli Smith (Maryland '01) have been named to the 19-player roster which was selected after open tryouts held at the team's training site in Virginia Beach will begin preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, March 19-28, 2004, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kaufman-Beach, Rizzo and Smith each played for the U.S. team this summer, helping the Stars and Stripes capture a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Kauffman-Beach was team captain of that squad.

A two-time All-American at Maryland, Messimer makes her U.S. senior squad debut after previously competing for the Junior National Team. She was a member of the 2001 U.S. Junior World Cup Team and was also a member of the 1999 Under-20 team along with Rizzo. As a Terp, Messimer was a four-time Mid-Atlantic All-Region selection, an d All-ACC Tournament honoree and an All-ACC pick as a senior in 2002 after leading the Terps in scoring with 16 goals and 37 points.

The new team will see its first international competition when the U.S. hosts Germany, Great Britain and Japan in the Second International Atlantic Cup in October at the U.S. Field Hockey National Training Center in Virginia Beach.

For more information, log onto www.usfieldhockey.com