Cards Help USA Take Gold in Hockey5s Pan American Cups
June 12, 2023 | Field Hockey
Will Holt served as an assistant coach for the men’s team while alumna Carter Ayars was instrumental in the women’s team title
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Â - University of Louisville field hockey assistant coach Will Holt and alumna Carter Ayars were both on hand to help to the USA Field Hockey men's and women's national teams capture gold medals at the 2023 Hockey5s Pan American Cups (PAC) in Kingston, Jamaica.
Holt served as an assistant coach for the USMNT while Ayars is a member of the USWNT. Both teams qualified for the first-ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup which will take place in Muscat, Oman in January 2024.
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Ayars was instrumental in the women's run, scoring six goals and dishing out an assist throughout the tournament as the United Eagles won seven straight games. She scored four goals to help USA to 4-0 in Pool A with wins over Costa Rica, Guam, Paraguay and Panama. Ayars added another score as the USWNT opened crossover play with a 3-0 win against Jamaica. A 2-1 semifinal victory over Trinidad and Tobago set up a showdown with Uruguay for the gold medal. The championship match featured a battle between the two teams and Ayars tallied a goal to help finish regulation in a 5-5. The USA prevailed 3-1 in the shootout to claim the Hockey5s PAC title. Â
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A Wilmington, Del., native, Ayars played for the Cardinals from 2016-19 and earned National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) third team honors in 2019. She was previously a member of the USWNT Development team, U-21 team and U-19 team.
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On the men's side, Holt helped guide the USA to a perfect 3-0 mark in Pool A while outscoring opponents 12-3. The Wolves registered a 4-0 win over Costa Rica to open crossover play and went on to beat Paraguay 5-1 in the semifinals. The championship match saw the USA rally from a 2-1 deficit and eventually ended with a thrilling 3-2 sudden-victory shootout against Uruguay to secure the gold medal.
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Holt, who was a member of the USA Field Hockey Men's National Team from 2007-23, recently completed his first season as an assistant coach at UofL and helped guide the Cardinals to 12 wins while reaching as high as No. 4 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings and earning an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
About Hockey5s
Hockey 5s is a small-sided outdoor game introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2014. More about Hockey 5s can be found here. This marked the inaugural year for the Hockey5s Pan American Cups, an international competition for men and women organized by the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF).
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Holt served as an assistant coach for the USMNT while Ayars is a member of the USWNT. Both teams qualified for the first-ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup which will take place in Muscat, Oman in January 2024.
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Ayars was instrumental in the women's run, scoring six goals and dishing out an assist throughout the tournament as the United Eagles won seven straight games. She scored four goals to help USA to 4-0 in Pool A with wins over Costa Rica, Guam, Paraguay and Panama. Ayars added another score as the USWNT opened crossover play with a 3-0 win against Jamaica. A 2-1 semifinal victory over Trinidad and Tobago set up a showdown with Uruguay for the gold medal. The championship match featured a battle between the two teams and Ayars tallied a goal to help finish regulation in a 5-5. The USA prevailed 3-1 in the shootout to claim the Hockey5s PAC title. Â
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A Wilmington, Del., native, Ayars played for the Cardinals from 2016-19 and earned National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) third team honors in 2019. She was previously a member of the USWNT Development team, U-21 team and U-19 team.
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On the men's side, Holt helped guide the USA to a perfect 3-0 mark in Pool A while outscoring opponents 12-3. The Wolves registered a 4-0 win over Costa Rica to open crossover play and went on to beat Paraguay 5-1 in the semifinals. The championship match saw the USA rally from a 2-1 deficit and eventually ended with a thrilling 3-2 sudden-victory shootout against Uruguay to secure the gold medal.
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Holt, who was a member of the USA Field Hockey Men's National Team from 2007-23, recently completed his first season as an assistant coach at UofL and helped guide the Cardinals to 12 wins while reaching as high as No. 4 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings and earning an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
About Hockey5s
Hockey 5s is a small-sided outdoor game introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2014. More about Hockey 5s can be found here. This marked the inaugural year for the Hockey5s Pan American Cups, an international competition for men and women organized by the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF).
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