NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Three incoming first-years for the Yale field hockey team – back Sophie Buchowski (St. Louis, Mo.), midfielder/forward Angelina Che (Sudbury, Mass.) and goalkeeper Lucy Pigg (Charlotte, N.C.) – have been chosen to compete at USA Field Hockey's 2026 Junior Nexus Championship. They are part of a group of 107 invitees at the U-21 level. They earned their spots following regional selection camp sessions earlier this year. 

This is the fourth year in a row Yale has had players selected for the Nexus Championships.

Nexus
Nexus is USA Field Hockey's Olympic Development Pathway Program, and part of the tryout process for the Junior U.S. National Teams. 

• Junior Nexus (formerly just Nexus) is for athletes who are 11 years old and older who are not yet enrolled in college. 
• Senior Nexus (formerly High Performance Centers) is for athletes who have enrolled in college or older. Selections for the Senior Nexus Championship will be announced later this month.

The Junior Nexus U-21 Championship will take place July 17-19 at USA Field Hockey's Regional Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va.  

At the conclusion of the Junior Nexus Championships, top performing athletes in qualifying age groups will be invited to additional Junior National Team camps and training opportunities.

Sophie Buchowski
Buchowski has been selected for Nexus four times. At John Burroughs School, she was first team NFHCA all-region and first team St. Louis Post-Dispatch all-state this past season. 

Buchowski also played for Aim Field Hockey, where she was part of a sixth place finish by the U19 team at the National Club Championship in 2025.

Angelina Che
Che has been selected for Nexus six times. At Groton School, she was a three-time first team NFHCA all-region selection. 

Che also played for Strikers, where she was part of a third-place finish at the U16 Regional Club Championship in 2025.
 
Lucy Pigg
Pigg has been selected for Nexus four times. At Providence High, she was NFHCA all-region last year and was a two time all-state selection.

Pigg also played for Ambush, where her team qualified for the National Club Championship last year. 

Yale Field Hockey Nexus Championships Selections Since 2021
USA Field Hockey's Junior Nexus Championship began in 2021 as a rebranding of the previously named National Futures Championship, which had been around since 1991. 
The Senior Nexus Championship was established in 2022, replacing the Young Women's National Championship.

• 2023
  • Junior Nexus
    • Emma Ramsey
  • Senior Nexus
    • Lily Ramsey
• 2024
  • Junior Nexus
    • Gigi Caldero
    • Kaitlyn Chang
  • Senior Nexus
    • Emma Ramsey
• 2025
  • Junior Nexus
    • Emma Mueller
    • Ella Ou
  • Senior Nexus
    • Gigi Caldero
    • Emma Ramsey
• 2026
  • Junior Nexus
    • Sophie Buchowski
    • Angelina Che
    • Lucy Pigg
  • Senior Nexus
    • TBD