COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Women’s National Team striker Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.) has officially announced her retirement from the team. Throughout a six-year stint, the 28-year-old competed in 91 international matches for Team USA.
Hailing from Kingston, Pa., Grega played several sports growing up but decided to play field hockey because her mom played and some of her middle school friends at the time were playing. She gave it a try the summer before 7th grade by attending her high school's summer camp, and immediately joined the middle school team that fall.
Grega continued to play through middle and high school at Wyoming Valley West and with the club teams KaPow and PA Elite. As a Spartan, she registered 50 goals and 27 assists in her career and went on to receive many honors including All-State Honorable Mention, First Team All-Conference, Wyoming Valley Conference (WVC) Coaches First Team All-Star as a junior and First Team All-State, First Team All-Conference, WVC Coaches First Team All-Star and WVC Class 3A Leading Scorer as a senior.
Grega made her way through the Olympic Development Pathway Program, Futures (now Nexus) from 2010 to 2018, participating in a National Futures Championship, four Junior National Camps and six Young Women’s National Championships. In 2014, she was named to the U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team and went on a tour to Belgium.
The fall of 2014, Grega attended Old Dominion University, where she represented the Monarchs on the field. As a junior she was named All-Big East First Team and NFHCA All-South Region Second Team. As a senior she earned Preseason All-Big East, All-Big East First Team, All-Big East Tournament Team, NFHCA All-South Region First Team, VaSID All-State Second Team and Synapse Sports All-American Third Team honors. In her final season, Grega also earned ODU’s John R. Broderick "All-Around Athlete" Award and was named Team MVP.
In 2017, Grega was named to the U-21 USWNT and went on a tour to England, where she participated in a series against Great Britain. That following year she transitioned to the U.S. Women’s National Development Team, and in April 2018 played in a series in Santiago, Chile. In November 2018, she got the call up to the senior USWNT and recorded her first international cap on November 26 against Belgium.
From then on, she was a staple on the USWNT’s forward line. She got her first taste of senior tournament competition while traveling and playing in the inaugural season of the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League. That July, she was on the squad that helped USA to a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. A few months later, in November, she participated in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier against No. 9 India, where USA fell just short of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Grega participated in multiple series and test matches, including four more seasons of the FIH Hockey Pro League (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24). In 2022, she was named to the squad to represent USA at the Pan American Cup in Santiago, Chile. In the FIH Hockey World Cup qualifying event, the United Eagles came in fourth after falling to Chile in a shootout in the semifinal and then dropping the bronze medal contest to Canada.
In October 2023, Grega was part of the group that put up a memorable fight at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. USA made it to the final after a shootout win over Chile, but a late push in the closing minutes against Argentina fell short as they claimed silver. Grega was named to the 2023 Pan American Elite Team.
This year, she was named to the roster for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Ranchi, India. Through a historic run, she helped the then No. 15 USA defeat odds and qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by upsetting hosts, No. 6 India, (1-0), beating No. 19 Italy and defeating No. 10 New Zealand (1-0) in pool play to secure a spot in the semifinals. Facing No. 9 Japan, USA knew they had to perform as the winner of this semifinal punched their ticket. After trailing, the United Eagles triumphantly rallied back with two goals in the fourth quarter to win 2-1 and qualify.
Grega retires having competed in 91 international senior matches, while scoring 24 goals. She said throughout her career she has experienced some incredible high highs and some very low lows, but considers all of them, no matter the outcome, some of her best career highlights. She mentions some of her most memorable times include, “…my first international cap and the next day scoring my first two international goals, my 50th international cap in front of an incredible Argentine crowd, getting to be a part of the Pan American team twice - winning medals both times - and experiencing the athlete village at these events, participating in five FIH Hockey Pro League seasons including the inaugural season, and traveling to places that I would have never had the chance to go to such as China, India, Australia, and New Zealand.”
To cap it off, Grega said that her biggest career highlight had to be going from failing to qualify for Tokyo 2020 to then four years later being part of the team that changed the trajectory and qualified for Paris 2024.
“It was a full circle moment and something that I am so proud of myself and the team for making possible.”
When asked what it was like being part of Team USA, Grega replied that it was hard to put into words. “I took so much pride in getting to wear USA on my chest every day in practice and especially games. The camaraderie is unlike anything else and is so much more than the individual athlete or sport, it is about getting the chance to represent your country on the international stage and play amongst and for those who are all unified toward the same goal.”
“It is not often that as an athlete you get the chance to compete at such a high level and I am so grateful that I was given that opportunity,” continued Grega. “I think it is every competitive athlete's dream to play at the highest level, or at least it was certainly mine, and I am so proud of myself to have worked so hard over the years and persevered through every obstacle that I faced in order to make that dream a reality. I have been challenged in so many ways that I would have never imagined and have grown tremendously not only as a player, but as a person in so many aspects of life. I am beyond grateful for the amazing career I have had, the places I got to travel to, cultures and hockey communities I have got to experience, lessons I have learned, friends I will have for life, and ultimately the opportunity to represent my country. It is all that plus the small moments that have made this crazy journey so worth it and a chapter of my life that I will truly never forget.”
Grega has a long list of individuals she would like to thank, all who have impacted her through the years as an athlete, person and teammate. “First off, I would like to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to play this amazing sport and for guiding me every step of the way the last 6 years on this team. Secondly, I would like to thank my parents, fiancé, and other immediate family members and friends for being my biggest supporters from the beginning and throughout this journey. A lot of sacrifices were made and I am eternally grateful for their support as I constantly pursued my dreams. I would also like to thank the following coaches that helped me fall in love with the sport, always believed in me, assisted in my athletic development, and have been a good role model and mentor for me both on and off the field - Linda Fithian, Kim Barbacci, Lauren Powley, Lunda Comiskey, Andrew Griffiths, Natalie (Barrett) Holder, Janneke Schopman, and the late Larry Amar. I want to thank Osaka for being an amazing sponsor the last six years and for the unwavering support. There are so many others that I could thank so I want to send a massive thank you to those that I did not mention who have played a part in my journey for everything you have done no matter how small or big.”
“Dani has been a long standing member of the U.S. Women’s National Team committing to the important move to the centralized program through the relocation to Charlotte,” added David Passmore, USWNT Head Coach. “Her unique skill set and smart defensive play was key to our Paris qualification and Pan American Games silver medal. I speak for the whole management team and athlete group when we wish Dani the best for her future and life with her fiancé Lucas.”
Grega hopes to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically in medical device or pharmaceutical sales. She wants to continue to stay involved in field hockey and share her knowledge and love for the game with the younger generation. She will relocate to Las Vegas, Nev., with her fiancé, and sees that area as an opportunity and untapped market to grow the sport.
