USA Women’s Field Hockey to face host New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup semifinals
Ashley Sessa holds the Player of the Match award after the USA’s third pool game against Japan at the FIH Nations Cup. Photo: USA Field Hockey
Thirty seconds in, the United States Women’s Field Hockey Team had already made its point against Japan in the FIH Nations Cup.
The third USA Women’s Field Hockey pool play game in Auckland, New Zealand, livestreamed in the US on Wednesday, June 17, improved the United Eagles to a 2-1 record and advancement to the semifinals.
It’s an important step toward reentering the FIH Pro League 2026-27 cycle prior to LA28.
An early strike, followed by a composed, disciplined performance, delivered a convincing 4-0 win the States needed to move forward.
Against Japan, the United Eagles looked organized and dangerous around the edges of the pitch. They stitched together crisp 23-meter give-and-goes and quick two-pass combinations, turning possession into circle entries and baseline pressure.
From there, they broke Japan’s backline and found angles they needed to land the four goals.
Ashley Sessa scored a showstopper — the kind of million-dollar goal that reinforces “practice makes perfect.” It was her second consecutive of the match and the United States’ third overall.
The team’s second goal and Sessa’s first was set up by Maddie Zimmer.
For the showstopper goal, Sessa controlled the ball out of the air, dropped it to the turf, and smashed a reverse, a nearly no-look hammer into the upper deck — a finish that resembled a defenseless tennis backhand.
Flashy, ruthless, and clinical, it underlined just how far Team USA has come on the international stage within the last four years.
The game wasn’t just handed to the States, as they had to defend seven attack penalty corners.
Next up: host nation New Zealand. The semifinals feature USA vs. New Zealand at 2:30 a.m. EST, Saturday, June 20. The first semifinal is India vs. Chile at 12:00 a.m. EST.
The games can be streamed on Watch.Hockey.
Sessa earned Player of the Match honors and now sits atop the FIH Nations Cup scoring chart.
Here is the current leaderboard of goals scored during the tournament, with the USA standing at the top having scored 13 in pool play:
Ashley Sessa, United States, 4 (Field Goals)
Deepika, India, 4 (Penalty Corners)
Abby Tamer, United States, 4, (Field Goals)
Fernanda Arrieta, Chile, 3 (2 Field Goals, 1 Penalty Stroke)
Yuri Lee, Korea, 2 (1 Field Goal, 1 Penalty Corner)
Maddie Zimmer, United States, 2 (Penalty Corners)
Kaitlin Cotter, New Zealand, 2 (Penalty Corners)
Jiyun Choi, Korea, 2 (Penalty Corners)
Lupe Curutchague, Uruguay, 2 (1 Field Goal, 1 Penalty Corner)
Manuela Vilar, Uruguay, 2 (Penalty Corners)
Simone Avelli, Chile, 1 (Field Goal)
Hannah Cotter, New Zealand, 1 (Field Goal)
Manuela Urroz, Chile, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Paige Blake, New Zealand, 1 (Penalty Stroke)
Ai Hiramitsu, Japan, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Olivia Shannon, New Zealand, 1 (Penalty Stroke)
Miyu Ha Segawa, Japan, 1 (Field Goal)
Beth Yeager, United States, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Ryleigh Heck, United States, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Navneet Kaur, India, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Maria Maldonado, Chile, 1 (Field Goal)
Josephine Murray, New Zealand, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Mai Toriyama, Japan, 1 (Field Goal)
Salima Tete, India, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Lalremsiami, India, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Deepika Soreng, India, 1 (Field Goal)
Albane Garot, France, 1 (Field Goal)
Claire Danahy, United States, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Chiara Appennino, Uruguay, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Holly Pearson, New Zealand, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Miyu Suzuki, Japan, 1 (Penalty Corner)
Emma van der Zanden, France, 1 (Field Goal)
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