Garcia Prado Competes in EuroHockey U21 Championship
7/16/2024 9:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Building off a fantastic freshman campaign, Indiana Field Hockey midfielder Inés Garcia Prado is currently playing in the EuroHockey U21 Championship for Spain's U21 National Team.
The European Championship began on Sunday, July 14 with Spain sporting a 1-1 record through their first two games of group play in Group A. The entire tournament is being played in Terrassa, Spain.
While this is Garcia Prado's first time playing for the U21 team, this is not her first time representing Spain on the national level as she has played with the U18 team prior.
After a successful outing with the U18 team a year ago, she was invited back to join the squad for this summer's Euros.
"I think it really helped me a lot because most of the girls that I played with at the U18 level are now on the U21 team, so I already know how they play and have played with most of them," Garcia Prado said of the value of her U18 team experience.
Garcia Prado joined the U21 team in May after wrapping up her spring semester at Indiana. She participated in weekly practices as well as five training camps held in Terrassa to prepare for the European Championship.
With the training camps as well as a strong freshman showing under her belt that saw her notch three goals and five assists while earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors, Garcia Prado was more than ready for the high-level international competition.
To start the tournament, the Spain squad fell to Netherlands in their opener 3-0 on Sunday but bounced back with a 4-0 win over France yesterday.
After the first two games, she has noticed differences between the college and international levels.
"The college game is more physical, more about running with the ball and being fit," Garcia Prado said. "For the international stage, you obviously have to be fit, too, but it is more about the technical skills and the tactical preparation."
Spain will play its final game of group play against Belgium on Wednesday afternoon with a 2:15 p.m. start.
Wednesday's game result will determine where they'll be slotted for the knockout stage. Currently, Belgium and Spain are tied for second in Group A, each with three points.
Regardless of where Spain finishes in the group, they'll face a Group B team to start the knockout stage which could be any of the following teams: England, Germany, Ireland and Austria.
After the European Championship is over, Garcia Prado will return to Bloomington for her sophomore season. Indiana's first scrimmage is on Sunday, August 18 at home against Miami (OH).
Garcia Prado believes that her time playing in the European Championship will benefit her greatly ahead of her sophomore season at IU.
"I think it has been really beneficial for me and for the team because field hockey in Europe is more technical," Garcia Prado said. "I'm improving my individual skills, my tactical knowledge and playing a faster game that is preparing me for the fall season."
The European Championship began on Sunday, July 14 with Spain sporting a 1-1 record through their first two games of group play in Group A. The entire tournament is being played in Terrassa, Spain.
While this is Garcia Prado's first time playing for the U21 team, this is not her first time representing Spain on the national level as she has played with the U18 team prior.
After a successful outing with the U18 team a year ago, she was invited back to join the squad for this summer's Euros.
"I think it really helped me a lot because most of the girls that I played with at the U18 level are now on the U21 team, so I already know how they play and have played with most of them," Garcia Prado said of the value of her U18 team experience.
Garcia Prado joined the U21 team in May after wrapping up her spring semester at Indiana. She participated in weekly practices as well as five training camps held in Terrassa to prepare for the European Championship.
With the training camps as well as a strong freshman showing under her belt that saw her notch three goals and five assists while earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors, Garcia Prado was more than ready for the high-level international competition.
To start the tournament, the Spain squad fell to Netherlands in their opener 3-0 on Sunday but bounced back with a 4-0 win over France yesterday.
After the first two games, she has noticed differences between the college and international levels.
"The college game is more physical, more about running with the ball and being fit," Garcia Prado said. "For the international stage, you obviously have to be fit, too, but it is more about the technical skills and the tactical preparation."
Spain will play its final game of group play against Belgium on Wednesday afternoon with a 2:15 p.m. start.
Wednesday's game result will determine where they'll be slotted for the knockout stage. Currently, Belgium and Spain are tied for second in Group A, each with three points.
Regardless of where Spain finishes in the group, they'll face a Group B team to start the knockout stage which could be any of the following teams: England, Germany, Ireland and Austria.
After the European Championship is over, Garcia Prado will return to Bloomington for her sophomore season. Indiana's first scrimmage is on Sunday, August 18 at home against Miami (OH).
Garcia Prado believes that her time playing in the European Championship will benefit her greatly ahead of her sophomore season at IU.
"I think it has been really beneficial for me and for the team because field hockey in Europe is more technical," Garcia Prado said. "I'm improving my individual skills, my tactical knowledge and playing a faster game that is preparing me for the fall season."
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