For the record, the winner of the 2026 FIH Women’s Nations Cup, and a berth into the next round of the FIH Pro Series, is India. An India team which the United States had in a 2-0 hole to begin the tournament in the first day of pool play, but the Eves pulled back three goals straight to win.
The last major competition for the Eagles before the FIH World Cup was full of opportunities, both won and lost. The Americans did finish the tournament in third place, one better than last year’s Nations Cup.
And yet, it was all there for the U.S. to win the competition outright.
In all five games played, the United States held the lead. They got some amazing goals from Abby Tamer and Ashley Sessa, and Ashley Hoffman was hitting dragflick goals from set pieces.
It must therefore be said that the U.S. was somewhat unlucky to not come out of this tournament with a championship. The U.S. team, had they not been taken down by eventual champion India, would have had first place in its pool instead of second, meaning they would have played Chile in the semifinal round.
As it happened, the Americans had to play against New Zealand as well as its loud home crowd. And, as it turns out, goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon. The reigning FIH Goalkeeper of the Year held the United States off the board in its semifinal round except for a goal after the interval. She stopped a Sessa penalty stroke in the 51st minute of play, and then withstood all but one of the Americans’ shootout attempts, allowing the rest of her Blacksticks to pull out a 4-1 shootout score.
Still, with eight weeks to go before the FIH World Cup, there is plenty to point to. The player pool has a number of returnees from the Paris Olympic side, and have included a number of top players who know how to put the ball into the net.
Which is critical come the World Cup.