March 19, 2008

STANFORD, Calif.- Stanford University will host the second annual Sony Field Hockey Challenge on Apr. 5-6, bringing together some of the premier collegiate and international competition to the Varsity Field Hockey Turf.

Five Division 1 programs (Stanford, California, Pacific, Penn State and Wake Forest) are scheduled to participate, joining the defending champion Sony Ichinomiya Bravia Ladies to round out the field. Each team will play five games in the opening round before teams are reseeded to compete for the championship.

"We are thrilled to be hosting the Sony Field Hockey Challenge again this year," said Stanford head coach Lesley Irvine. "It is unlike any tournament I know. The competition itself is world class and, with the addition of two Final Four teams this year in Penn State and Wake Forest, it only gets better. But it's more than that. It's the organization and structure that goes into this tournament that creates such a unique and valuable student-athlete experience. It's a first class event. We are so thankful to Sony, HallPass Media and the other sponsors for their support of this tournament."

In addition to the competition, fans will have a chance to participate in interactive games, check out the latest Sony products and visit the Sony Alpha Tour on site.

The opening round schedule of events is as follows. Teams will play two 15-minute halves with a running clock and cumulative records after first five matches determine seeding.

Saturday, Apr. 5

12:20 p.m.: Wake Forest vs. Sony Bravia Ladies

For more information, visit www.sonychallenge.com.