Team USA is preparing to host a team of Barbarians for a mixed test match series April 10-12, 2026 in Whitesburg, GA. The tour will take place during the Sandie Creek Polocrosse Club’s annual tournament.
The Barbarian team will be coached by current Irish Team World Cup Player, and former UK WC Player, Debbie Harris. We are looking forward to seeing Debbie again, as she recently coached the Irish U16 Team that played against our juniors in Georgia last spring.
Visiting Team
Alasdair Broadbent (United Kingdom)
Izzy Baker Cresswell (United Kingdom)
Katie Davies (United Kingdom)
Nikita Gilks (Ireland)
Oliver Hayes (United Kingdom)
Keegan Jacobs (United Kingdom)
Cathy Matthews (Ireland)
Peter Walker (Ireland)
Team USA is working hard to prepare for the tour. The team is being coached by USA World Cup Player Sarah Desai. A trio of tour managers are working together coordinating with both teams and finalizing tour logistics: Kat Erickson, Jenna Goveronski, and Katie Ryan.
The USA team is pleased to announce support from the following entities:
Best Horse Award – The Gritty Spur
Best Player Award – Scorpion Ranch
Accommodations & Welcome – SmartEquine
Jerseys Sponsor – SC Polocrosse
Match Balls Sponsor – Bellerophon Wealth Management
Breakfast – Carpenter Family of Heartland Polocrosse Club
Coach: Sarah Desai
Home state: North Carolina
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
While Sarah is the Coach of the team, she does all the same preparations she asks of the team. She works out regularly, rides as much as possible, does racket work with her kids and husband, as well as prepares mentally. She reads a lot about mental toughness. She listens to podcast about coaching and sports psychology. She is spending time getting to know her team. Most importantly she says she is trying to learn from other coaches so she can continue to find ways to improve.
Let’s go USA!
Manager: Jenna Goveronski
Home State: Minnesota
Club: Minnesota Club
Jenna has worked in the equine industry for 35+ years as a trainer, certified veterinary technician, and higher education professional. She currently serves as a project manager for an animal health technology company and owns Vintage Springs Performance, specializing in youngstock, polocrosse horses, OTTB restarts, and mustangs.
Additional roles include Extreme Mustang Makeover competitor, 2026 Team USA vs Barbarian International Polocrosse Team Manager, and 2026 American Polocrosse Association Equine Welfare Officer.
She lives in western Wisconsin with her husband, toddler, and a variety of animals on their small hobby farm.
Jeremy Barbour
Home state: Mississippi
Home club: Grand Bay Polocrosse Club
Jeremy has been playing for 14 years and his favorite position on the field is a 2. Outside of the game, he works as a farrier and welder by trade. In his free time, he loves being outdoors and going fishing. He is looking forward to getting out there and playing against some new people this year.
Madison Butler
Home state: Alabama
Club: Rocket City Polocrosse Club
Madison has previously played in Australia and participated in the U21 Young Guns competition taking first place with her team. She’s traveled to multiple different countries playing polocrosse. She’s very excited to be representing her country to play against the Barbarians. Her goal is to eventually play at the World Cup level and hopes this will be a stepping stone toward her dream.
When she’s not playing Polocrosse, she enjoys working and breaking horses in for the sport we all love. She also enjoys a good game of pickleball.
Scott Jr Carpenter
Home state: Virginia
Club: Heartland Polocrosse Club
Scott Jr is 21 years old. He is getting ready for the test match with lots of stick work and practicing with club mates!
Sara Cifelli
Home state: North Carolina
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
Sara has been playing for about 25 years and sells equipment to keep up the hobby for the past 13 years. In “the real world” she manages a retail store and in her free time she enjoys working on her house and farm.
To get ready for the test matches in April she is prepping my horses to be highly fit and tuned up to play any position. She is currently working on clearing room for a new pasture at home so she can add to the herd soon. Racket work has also been a main focus to keep her hand-eye coordination at its peak.
Andrew Hatchett
Home state: Alabama
Home club: Grand Bay
Andrew is getting himself and his horses ready by eating and training right every day! Polocrosse is the first team sport he ever played.
Nikki Lee
Home state: Georgia
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
To prep for the upcoming test, Nikki is focusing on a routine and consistency with her horsemanship, personal fitness and stick work to be as well rounded as she can be. Her goal is to be 1% better each day. She is an avid sourdough baker!
Jason Pascarella
Home state: Florida
Jason started playing polocrosse back in 2005 and was on the 2008 youth development team. After that he took a small break to go start playing polo. He got back into polocrosse two years ago and has played C through A grade. He enjoys how free it feels when he plays and the successful feeling when he scores a goal.
Summer Weldon
Home state: Maryland
Club: Sassafras River Polocrosse Club
Summer has been riding horses for 20+ years. Most of her riding career has been playing polocrosse but she also has a background in pony club, which included eventing and dressage.
Summer was on the 2015 USA U21 team that traveled to Ireland. In 2023 she was the coach of the USA U16 team, which hosted an inbound tour with the UK. Her experiences in the Player Development Program have really pushed her to help others get that awesome experience as well!
You can support the team by participating in a board games & pizza night on the first night of the Citrus Classic Tournament.
The Barbarian team will be coached by current Irish Team World Cup Player, and former UK WC Player, Debbie Harris. We are looking forward to seeing Debbie again, as she recently coached the Irish U16 Team that played against our juniors in Georgia last spring.
Visiting Team
Alasdair Broadbent (United Kingdom)
Izzy Baker Cresswell (United Kingdom)
Katie Davies (United Kingdom)
Nikita Gilks (Ireland)
Oliver Hayes (United Kingdom)
Keegan Jacobs (United Kingdom)
Cathy Matthews (Ireland)
Peter Walker (Ireland)
Team USA is working hard to prepare for the tour. The team is being coached by USA World Cup Player Sarah Desai. A trio of tour managers are working together coordinating with both teams and finalizing tour logistics: Kat Erickson, Jenna Goveronski, and Katie Ryan.
The USA team is pleased to announce support from the following entities:
Best Horse Award – The Gritty Spur
Best Player Award – Scorpion Ranch
Accommodations & Welcome – SmartEquine
Jerseys Sponsor – SC Polocrosse
Match Balls Sponsor – Bellerophon Wealth Management
Breakfast – Carpenter Family of Heartland Polocrosse Club
Team USA
Coach: Sarah Desai
Home state: North Carolina
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
While Sarah is the Coach of the team, she does all the same preparations she asks of the team. She works out regularly, rides as much as possible, does racket work with her kids and husband, as well as prepares mentally. She reads a lot about mental toughness. She listens to podcast about coaching and sports psychology. She is spending time getting to know her team. Most importantly she says she is trying to learn from other coaches so she can continue to find ways to improve.
Let’s go USA!
Manager: Jenna Goveronski
Home State: Minnesota
Club: Minnesota Club
Jenna has worked in the equine industry for 35+ years as a trainer, certified veterinary technician, and higher education professional. She currently serves as a project manager for an animal health technology company and owns Vintage Springs Performance, specializing in youngstock, polocrosse horses, OTTB restarts, and mustangs.
Additional roles include Extreme Mustang Makeover competitor, 2026 Team USA vs Barbarian International Polocrosse Team Manager, and 2026 American Polocrosse Association Equine Welfare Officer.
She lives in western Wisconsin with her husband, toddler, and a variety of animals on their small hobby farm.
Jeremy Barbour
Home state: Mississippi
Home club: Grand Bay Polocrosse Club
Jeremy has been playing for 14 years and his favorite position on the field is a 2. Outside of the game, he works as a farrier and welder by trade. In his free time, he loves being outdoors and going fishing. He is looking forward to getting out there and playing against some new people this year.
Madison Butler
Home state: Alabama
Club: Rocket City Polocrosse Club
Madison has previously played in Australia and participated in the U21 Young Guns competition taking first place with her team. She’s traveled to multiple different countries playing polocrosse. She’s very excited to be representing her country to play against the Barbarians. Her goal is to eventually play at the World Cup level and hopes this will be a stepping stone toward her dream.
When she’s not playing Polocrosse, she enjoys working and breaking horses in for the sport we all love. She also enjoys a good game of pickleball.
Scott Jr Carpenter
Home state: Virginia
Club: Heartland Polocrosse Club
Scott Jr is 21 years old. He is getting ready for the test match with lots of stick work and practicing with club mates!
Sara Cifelli
Home state: North Carolina
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
Sara has been playing for about 25 years and sells equipment to keep up the hobby for the past 13 years. In “the real world” she manages a retail store and in her free time she enjoys working on her house and farm.
To get ready for the test matches in April she is prepping my horses to be highly fit and tuned up to play any position. She is currently working on clearing room for a new pasture at home so she can add to the herd soon. Racket work has also been a main focus to keep her hand-eye coordination at its peak.
Andrew Hatchett
Home state: Alabama
Home club: Grand Bay
Andrew is getting himself and his horses ready by eating and training right every day! Polocrosse is the first team sport he ever played.
Nikki Lee
Home state: Georgia
Club: Carolina Polocrosse Club
To prep for the upcoming test, Nikki is focusing on a routine and consistency with her horsemanship, personal fitness and stick work to be as well rounded as she can be. Her goal is to be 1% better each day. She is an avid sourdough baker!
Jason Pascarella
Home state: Florida
Jason started playing polocrosse back in 2005 and was on the 2008 youth development team. After that he took a small break to go start playing polo. He got back into polocrosse two years ago and has played C through A grade. He enjoys how free it feels when he plays and the successful feeling when he scores a goal.
Summer Weldon
Home state: Maryland
Club: Sassafras River Polocrosse Club
Summer has been riding horses for 20+ years. Most of her riding career has been playing polocrosse but she also has a background in pony club, which included eventing and dressage.
Summer was on the 2015 USA U21 team that traveled to Ireland. In 2023 she was the coach of the USA U16 team, which hosted an inbound tour with the UK. Her experiences in the Player Development Program have really pushed her to help others get that awesome experience as well!
You can support the team by participating in a board games & pizza night on the first night of the Citrus Classic Tournament.