Episcopal Academy grad Ashley Sessa helps U.S. field hockey team qualify for Paris Olympics
Sessa, a Schwenksville native who played at the University of North Carolina, was named player of the match following a 2-1 win over Japan.
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USA field hockey is back in the Olympics.
The 12th-ranked Americans rallied with two goals in the fourth quarter to knock off No. 9 Japan, 2-1, in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier on Thursday in Ranchi, India, to clinch a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.
After a quiet first half, Japan jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a second-chance goal by Amiru Shimada off a penalty corner in the 38th minute.
But the U.S. clamped down after that. Ashley Hoffman equalized in the 52nd minute, and Abby Tamer netted the game-winner two minutes later to punch the Americans’ ticket to Paris. The U.S., which is 4-0 in the qualifier, will face No. 5 Germany on Friday (9 a.m. Philadelphia time, CBSSN).
Schwenksville’s Ashley Sessa, an Episcopal Academy graduate, was named the player of the match. Sessa told The Inquirer in September that she wanted to “play a major role” in the U.S. qualifying for the Olympics.
After playing her freshman season at the University of North Carolina and winning an NCAA title, she took a waiver from school to train with the national team. She also entered the transfer portal and recently committed to Northwestern.
“I want to help the team win and grow as a player,” she said in September. “I want to make a difference with the score line, but also I don’t want to be selfish. I want to make other people look good.”
» READ MORE: Erin Matson is barely older than her players. But she just coached UNC field hockey to a national title.
The U.S. will field a 16-player team in Paris. Chadds Ford native Erin Matson, 23, a former teammate of Sessa’s and the current Tar Heels coach, has not ruled out a potential return to playing, according to an Olympics.com article in November.
“If the stars align and there’s a possibility to do it someday and represent my country again, then my athletic director, he knows if we can make it work and if it’s the right timing with the right people, with the right resources, then let’s do it,” Matson told the website.
The U.S. last fielded an Olympic field hockey team in 2016 and finished fifth in Rio de Janeiro. The Americans haven’t medaled since 1984 with a team that featured West Chester grad and UNC coaching legend Karen Shelton and was coached by former Rams coach Vonnie Gros.