STANFORD, Calif. - For the next two weeks, senior Kelsey Bing will shift her focus from chasing an NCAA Tournament berth to helping Team USA land a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games.
Bing is one of two goalkeepers among Team USA's 20-member traveling roster that will travel to Bhubaneswar, India, for the FIH (International Hockey Federation) Olympic Qualifier. Both No. 13 USA and No. 9 India have one more chance to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and that spot will be decided on Nov. 1-2 at Kalinga Stadium.
USA and India will play each other on consecutive days, with the aggregate score of the two games determining the winner. If tied, a shootout will determine the winner.
Game times for both days are set for 5:30 a.m. PT and all games will be streamed live.
Bing is scheduled to miss only one game, Stanford's Senior Night regular-season finale on Nov. 1 against UC Davis. A 2016 NFHCA All-American, Bing has led the Cardinal to America East Conference crowns and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016-17 while compiling 396 saves, 11 shutouts and a 1.59 GAA over her career in 76 games.
Bing is likely to return for the America East Conference championship, which begins Nov. 6, and will be available for any NCAA Tournament competition.
The format for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers is a new concept for field hockey. Previously, a qualification tournament that usually involved six teams was played out, where only the winner of each tournament earned a berth to the Olympic Games. For the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the FIH changed the format to a two-team playoff competition.
Team USA's first step in the Olympic Qualifying process dates back to 2017 at the Women's Pan American Cup in Lancaster, Pa. After claiming the bronze medal in the international event, USA qualified for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, along with Canada and Argentina. On the line in Lima was a direct qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the nation that claimed the gold medal. However, USA was defeated 2-0 by Canada in the semifinals and had to settle for the bronze medal.