May 26, 2013
Los Alamitos, CA - May 26 - The USA Women' National Team rallied in the fourth period scoring the final two goals of the match to defeat Canada 8-7 in FINA World League Prelim action. Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/SBWPF) scored twice and Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI/Michigan/NYAC) record 14 saves and a penalty shot stop in the victory. Team USA closes out competition on Monday with a match against Brazil at 12pm pst.
Canada struck first to open the match as Monika Eggens hit from the outside for the first of her game-high four goals, grabbing a 1-0 lead. Team USA responded less than twenty seconds later with Craig's first goal for a 1-1 match. A scrum in front of the cage followed at the 5:47 mark and Canada batted home the rebound for a goal and a 2-1 lead. The United States then ran off three straight scores to close out the first period ahead as Maggie Steffens (Danville, CA/Stanford/Diablo), Rachel Fattal (Seal Beach, CA/UCLA/SOCAL), and Annika Dries (Laguna Beach, CA/Stanford/SET) all found the net for a 4-2 lead.
It was all Canada in the second period as they battled back to even the match at 4-4 come intermission. Eggens hit on a power play goal and then on a natural goal for the two Canada scores. In between that, Steffens barred out a penalty shot attempt and the game was even at the half.
In the third Canada retook the lead with a score from Emma Wright just ninety seconds in to go ahead 6-5. Danielle Warde (Newport Beach, CA/UC-Irvine/SOCAL) answered with her first goal as a member of the Senior National Team to make it 5-5. Eggens scored next for Canada and with a chance to go ahead by two on a penalty shot, Eggens was blocked by Armstrong, keeping the match at 6-5 in favor of Canada. Lolo Silver (Long Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC) closed out the period with a goal from the perimeter for a 6-6 match headed to the fourth.
Wright scored to open the fourth, putting Canada ahead 7-6. Courtney Mathewson (Anaheim Hills, CA/UCLA/NYAC) responded with an outside shot going bar in to even the score at 7-7. Then with 3:04 left in the match, Craig scored out of two meters for what would prove to be the difference, putting Team USA ahead 8-7. Silver forced a key ball under with a little over a minute remaining and the United States came away winners 8-7.
The United States won the match despite going 0-6 on power plays and 0-1 on penalties. Canada went 4-6 on power plays and 0-1 on penalties.
Scoring
USA 8 (4, 0, 2, 2) K. Craig 2, D. Warde 1, A. Dries 1, C. Mathewson 1, M. Steffens 1, R. Fattal 1, L. Silver 1
CAN 7 (2, 2, 2, 1) M. Eggens 4, E. Wright 2, C. Robinson 1
Saves - USA - B. Armstrong 14
6x5 - USA - 0-6 - CAN - 4-7
Penalties - USA 0-1 - CAN 0-1
