SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Tracey Fuchs left her job as an assistant field hockey coach at Michigan to train full-time. Kelli Gannon left the same school just shy of earning her degree.

After the Americans barely missed qualifying for the 2000 Olympics, some decided that 2004 would instead have to be their year -- and they were going to do whatever it took to get to Greece.

For many members of the U.S. women's field hockey team, that meant moving.

Fuchs, Gannon and goalie Peggy Storrar, also a former Michigan assistant, packed up Storrar's truck and a U-Haul and headed for Virginia Beach, Va.

"Twelve hours and 13 stops,'' Fuchs recalled of the trek.

"No, it was 13 or 14 hours,'' Gannon corrected.

The team placed fifth in the Champions Challenge in Italy in early July. A win here would earn a berth in Athens, although they could still qualify in New Zealand next March. Still, they'd rather earn a spot now.

"This is the first step,'' said coach Beth Anders, who left a successful career at Old Dominion in late June to take over the national team.

Anders was on the Americans' 1984 bronze medal Olympic team, and she directed Old Dominion to nine national titles.

At 36, Fuchs is reaching the age when many athletes are considering retirement or already have left the game. She has competed in all five Pan Am Games in which women's field hockey has been presented. She's been to two Olympics, and her 242 international appearances are the most of any U.S. women field hockey players.

"2000 probably would have been it had we qualified,'' said Fuchs, a midfielder from Centereach, N.Y. "As long as I'm healthy and still contributing (I'll play).

"This is it. Hopefully we'll qualify and get it done here. Everybody gave up a lot. It's going to feel really good when we qualify.''

Fuchs recruited Gannon to Michigan out of San Pasqual High School in San Diego. Gannon is one of 10 children -- she's No. 8 -- and they're all athletes. Her older sister, Teri McKeever, is the swimming coach at the University of California at Berkeley. Her younger sister is a senior on the Michigan team and plays on the Under-23 U.S. squad.

In the Olympic qualifier for the 2000 Games, the U.S. lost to China in the match for fifth place. Only five teams advanced.

"I've blocked it out,'' Fuchs said.

She and nine teammates work part-time at Home Depot, but are on salary through the Olympic Job Opportunities Program even when they are on the road competing for long periods of time.

The U.S. men's team, meanwhile, must win here to go to the Olympics.

The team's last major international competition was in 2001, when it placed 14th out of 16 teams in a World Cup qualifier. The Americans competed in the Pan Am Cup qualifier here in May, placing second out of six teams, losing to Cuba in the final.

They open pool play Saturday against Chile, perhaps the most important match for the United States because the Dominican Republic and strong favorite Argentina are in the same pool. If the U.S. team can get by Chile, it would likely set up a semifinal matchup against Argentina. The Americans beat the host Dominicans 16-1 in the Pan Am Cup qualifier.

"The semifinals and finals are anybody's game,'' coach Shiv Jagday said. "Our first goal is to be in the top two in our pool.''

Both David Schmoyer and Jarred Martin played on their high school girls' teams on their way to the national team. Schmoyer's two older brothers played field hockey, while Martin's sister competed and his mom coached the sport.

"Field hockey in our family was ingrained,'' Martin said.

Winning this tournament would be a major breakthrough for the Americans.

"That'd be perfect,'' Schmoyer said. "In 2004, that's where it all started.''