COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Four Terps will compete on the U.S. Olympic Women's Field Hockey Team in Paris, France this summer as announced by USA Field Hockey head coach David Passmore on Tuesday. Maryland is represented more than any other program with four athletes on the 16-player roster.
Leah Crouse, Brooke DeBerdine, Emma DeBerdine and Kelee Lepage are four of 16 athletes representing the United States. Current assistant coach, Jenny Rizzo, was named a provisional athlete and will travel to Paris with the team.
"The full centralized group of 28 athletes have worked exceptionally hard this year and made the final selection difficult," said Passmore. "While the results weren't what we wanted during the European leg of FIH Hockey Pro League, we have diligently reviewed video and performance analysis while choosing a group of athletes we feel can push for a quarterfinal berth in Paris."
The United States is in Pool B, made up of Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Spain and South Africa. The U.S. will open play against Argentina on July 27 followed by a contest with Spain on July 29. They will close July against Australia on July 31. The U.S. will continue pool play against Great Britain on August 1 and finish with South Africia on August 3. The women's semifinal rounds will take place on Wednesday, August 7. The gold-medal game takes place on Friday, August 9.
Crouse was a standout athlete during her time at Maryland. The graduate transfer started all 22 games for the Terps, totalling 25 points from ten goals and five assists. She was named NFHCA All Mid-Atlantic First Team and All-Big Ten Second Team. Crouse led the Terps in game-winning goals with five.
B. DeBerdine, the 2022 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, was the first Terrapin to start in 100 career games and owns the program record with 104 starts. During her career in College Park, DeBerdine was a standout midfielder and two-time captain. DeBerdine was recognized as the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year and Honda Award Finalist for her performance in 2021. She is a two-time All-American, two-time All-Big Ten honoree and two-time NCAA All-Tournament Team selection.
E. DeBerdine, a two-time All-American, spent her undergraduate career as a Terp with plans to return to College Park and use her remaining year of eligibility for the 2024 season. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native, started in 75 of the 76 games she played in, tallying 69 points from 23 goals and 23 assists. DeBerdine has multiple accolades during her undergraduate career, including two NFHCA All-American honors and two All-Big Ten recognitions.
Lepage was a standout defender for the Terps for all four seasons. The Honey Brook, Pennsylvania native, started in 70 of the 91 games she played in for the Terps. Lepage added 43 points from 11 goals and 21 assists and three game-winning goals during her time in College Park. She was recognized on the NFHCA All-Region squad after her senior season in 2019.
Rizzo joined the Maryland staff as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coordinator in March 2024. She served as a volunteer assistant with Davidson during the 2019 season and then served as an assistant coach at Davidson and Lafayette College before coming to College Park. As a player, Rizzo was a standout goalkeeper for Penn State, starting in 79 games. She tallied more than 5,400 minutes in the cage and posted a .749 career saves percentage. She helped the Nittany Lions to three NCAA Tournament bids (2016-18), the 2016 Big Ten Tournament title and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2017 and 2018.
11 of head coach Missy Meharg's players have gone on to make Olympic rosters – Kate Kauffman Beach, Lauren Powley,
Dina Rizzo, Sarah Silvetti, Keli Smith Puzo, Katie O'Donnell Bam, Jill Witmer, and now Crouse, B. DeBerdine, E. DeBerdine and Lepage. Meharg was an assistant with the U.S. national team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
For more information on the Olympic Games, click here.
