Personal
Daugther of David and KarenDawson...Siblings are David, Natalie, Andrew, Sarah, Meghan, Hannah and Melanie...Began playing
field hockey in 1995...Game Day Mantra: "Relax and run"...Best Words of Advice: "Enjoy it, it doesn't last forever."
Career Highlights
- 2016: Retired from the U.S. Women's National Team with 298 international caps
- 2016: Series against Canada (Chula Vista, Calif.), Series against Chile (Lancaster, Pa.), Series against Holland (Hilversum, The Netherlands), Citi Rio Send-Off Series (Lancaster, Pa.)
- 2015: Series against Argentina (Lancaster, Pa.), 8 Nations Tournament (5th, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand), Series against Ireland (Lancaster, Pa.), Series against Great Britain (Marlow, England), Series against Japan (Lancaster, Pa.)
- 2008: No. 9 UNC jersey was retired in February, only the third player in program history to have her jersey retired
- 2007: Recognized with the Honda Award as the National Player of the Year for field hockey, Selected as one of the five finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup as the nation's top college female athlete, With 19 goals, ranked as the top scorer for the No. 1 offensive team in the country (UNC), Named 2007 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and 2007 ACC Tournament MVP, National Player of the Year by womensfieldhockey.com
- 2006: Nominated for the 2006 WorldHockey Women's Young Player of the Year award as one of the top six players under the age of 23 in the world, Redshirted the 2006 season at UNC while representing the U.S. in international competition
- 2005: Named second-team All-America, Named to the inaugural ACC All-Academic Team and to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, Earned first career cap versus Australia in Virginia Beach (6/5), Junior Pan American Championships (2nd, San Juan, Puerto Rico), Named Most Outstanding Player at Junior Pan American Championships, Junior World Cup Team (7th, Santiago, Chile), Named to the U.S. Women's National Team
- 2004: Named first-team All-America ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Named to the NFHCA Academic Squad
- 2003: Selected as the ACC Freshman of the Year, only the fourth UNC player to win the honor, Named National Freshman of the Year by collegefieldhockey.com, All-ACC Tournament, Named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad
- 2001: Named to the U.S. U-21 Women's National Team
Olympic Experience
- 3-time Olympian
- Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, 5th (Team - Women)
- Olympic Games London 2012, 12th (Team - Women)
- Olympic Games Beijing 2008, 8th (Team - Women)
World Championship Experience
- Gold - 2015 Pan American Games (Toronto, Canada)
- Gold - 2014 Champions Challenge (Glasgow, Scotland)
- Gold - 2013 World League Round 2 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Gold - 2011 Pan American Team (Guadalajara, Mexico), Named to the Pan American Elite Team
- Gold - 2008 Olympic Qualifier Tournament (Kazan, Russia), Named Olympic Qualifier Player of the Tournament
- Silver - 2012 Champions Challenge I (Dublin, Ireland)
- Silver - 2010 AtaHolding World Cup Qualifier Team (Chula Vista, Calif.)
- Silver - 2009 Pan American Cup Team (Hamilton, Bermuda), Named to the Pan American Elite Team
- Silver - 2007 Pan American Games (Rio de Janiero, Brazil)
- Bronze - 2016 Champions Trophy (London, England)
- 4th - 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup (The Hague, Netherlands)
- 4th - 2007 Champions Challenge (Baku, Azerbaijan)
- 4th - 2006 World Cup Qualifying Tournament (Rome, Italy)
- 5th - 2015 World League Round 3 (Valencia, Spain)
More
From her childhood home in Berlin, NJ, Dawson shared her competitive spirit, natural athleticism and a tiny bathroom with her seven siblings. Two of her older sisters even played field hockey for the U.S. National Team. For Dawson, being a part of a big team is second nature. The versatile defender, midfielder joined the National team in 2005 and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2007. She is the most capped athlete on the team with 240 marks. Dawson is a two-time Olympian.
