COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - August 29, 2018 - Another member of the U.S. Women’s National Team will be transitioning to other side of the game of field hockey. Defender Stefanie Fee (Virginia Beach, Va.) has confirmed her retirement from the senior squad. Fee joined the USWNT in 2012, and finishes her career with 114 international caps after six years of helping defend some of the top international teams. The Virginia Beach, Va. native began her field hockey career in middle school, thanks in part to her physical education coach and best friend, who urged her to try the sport for months on end.
“I played soccer and basketball at that point and was a true lover of any sport so I ended up diving right in to field hockey,” said Fee. “It was my goal to try to become my childhood hero, the ‘Mia Hamm’ of field hockey.”
From there, Fee never looked back as she played for the Beach Premier Field Hockey Club before transitioning to Duke University. With recruitment offers for all three of her sports on the table, Fee ultimately determined field hockey was at the core of her sports passion. She made an immediate impact for the Blue Devils on the backline, starting in every single game from 2008-11. In her senior season, Fee was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-South Region first team and she earned second team All-America Honors.
Her intimidating presence on defense paved the way from Duke blue to Team USA blue in 2012, when she joined the squad following the London 2012 Olympic Games. Fee helped defend USA to several medal performances since then, including the 2015 Pan American Games, where the red, white and blue shocked the world by defeating Argentina in the final. She also helped USA to gold medals at the 2013 FIH World League Round 2 in Rio de Janeiro and 2014 Champions Challenge in Glasgow, Scotland. She was also a member of the USWNT squad that claimed silver at the 2012 Champions Challenge in Dublin, Ireland.
“When I first joined the team, Fee was always a player who stood out, not because of her fancy skill [although she could trap aerials like no other] or speed but because of her positive attitude and work ethic,” said Janneke Schopman, USWNT Head Coach. “She was always working hard without losing her positive mindset, trying to be better every day in every aspect of the game and encouraging her teammates in the process.”
Through all her appearances on the pitch, Fee was living her dream each and every time. From the Pan American Games to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, standing arm-to-arm with her teammates as the National Anthem played were among her favorite moments.
“Rio was quite an experience as the media has already hyped and informed everyone about,” continued Fee. “But to me, it was like crossing a finish line to the dream I had set when I was 9 years old. I got to live, play and love my dream during the Olympic Games.
“I was able to live my dream job every day. Work was play. Of course, ‘play’ came along with grueling trainings and 9 p.m. bedtimes due to tiredness, but the ability to represent my country in the sport I love alongside powerful and charismatic teammates everyday was a true blessing.”
Following USA’s appearance at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London, Fee plans to move to Wayne, Pa. where she recently co-founded the PowerHouse Field Hockey Club with former USWNT athlete Lauren Pfeiffer. She will also be completing her real estateexam in pursuit of an occupation in either Commercial or Residential Real Estate.
Fee would like to thank every single teammate she has played next to throughout her sports career.
“It is because of each of you that my heart and my head are so full of loving and lasting memories that I will always cherish,” said Fee. “Thank you to my loved ones for supporting me and being my rocks through every experience from start to finish. It's time to hang up my turfs and time to start another adventure. Thank you to everyone who made my USA Field Hockey dream a reality.”
USA Field Hockey would like to wish Fee the best of luck in her future endeavors!
