The USA Women’s Senior National Team moved to 2-0 at the 2013 Holiday Cup with a 15-11 victory over Canada on Thursday evening. Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/SBWPF) and Maggie Steffens (Danville, CA/Stanford/Diablo) scored three goals each while Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI/Michigan/NYAC) posted 10 saves in the victory. Team USA will be back in action tomorrow evening at Foothill High School when they take on Russia at 8:30pm pt. Tickets are available at the door, for more information pleaseclick here.
The first quarter started off evenly with the teams tied at 1-1 with 4:55 to play. Makenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach HS/SET) broke the tie with a goal to take a 2-1 lead but Canada answered on the next possession to tie the game at 2-2. Team USA then went on a three goal run to close out the first period. Craig scored in close, Priscilla Orozco (Commerce, CA/UCLA/Commerce) scored on a power play and Jillian Kraus (Santa Ana, CA/UCLA/SOCAL) finished the run for a 5-2 advantage.
Canada opened the second period with a goal to draw to within two at 5-3. Team USA had a major answer in store going on a three goal run to grab an 8-3 lead. Annika Dries (Laguna Beach, CA/Stanford/SET) connected on a power play and then Steffens scored consecutive goals to build the five goal advantage with 4:49 left. Canada stopped the run with a goal only to see Craig score again in front of the cage for a 9-4 lead at halftime.
Scoring dropped off in the third period as both team’s defenses stepped up. Canada struck first with a power play goal to close within 9-5 with 5:40 remaining. Steffens scored her third of the night on a penalty shot some three minutes to build a 10-5 lead. Canada answered on their next possession to cut the deficit to 10-6, which was the score headed to the fourth period.
Things picked up in the fourth with a flurry of scores. Seidemann scored two of the first three goals to start the fourth to take a 12-7 lead with 6:50 remaining. Canada scored on a power play goal with just under five minutes to go to close to within 12-8. Alys Williams (Huntington Beach, CA/UCLA/HBWPC) got on the board with an outside shot for a 13-8 lead but Canada scored on the next possession for a 13-9 game. The Canadians followed with a goal on their next possession on a penalty shot for a 13-9 match. Craig scored in close on the next USA possession for a 14-9 game and Lolo Silver (Long Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC) followed moments later with a penalty shot score and a 15-9 advantage.
Canada scored two late to close to within 15-11 with less than a minute to play but would get no closer as Team USA took the match by four. The United States went 6/10 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties while Canada was 6/11 on power plays and 1-1 on penalties.
In other Holiday Cup action Greece moved to 2-0 on the week as they defeated the Netherlands 8-6. Australia got their first win of the tournament holding off a comeback by Russia to win 9-8. For full tournament results and scoresheets, click here.
Scoring – Scoresheet
USA 15 (5, 4, 1, 5) K. Craig 3, M. Steffens 3, M. Seidemann 2, A. Dries 2, M. Fischer 1, J. Kraus 1, P. Orozco 1, A. Williams 1, L. Silver 1
CAN 10 (2, 2, 2, 5)
Saves – USA – B. Armstrong 10
6×5 – USA 6/10 – CAN 6/11
Penalties – USA 1/2 – CAN 1/1
This release was provided to SwimSwam courtesy of USA Water Polo.