Santiago, Chile - November 4 - The USA Women's National Team is headed back to the Olympic Games following a 20-11 victory over Canada in the Pan American Games final. It marks Team USA's sixth straight Pan Ams crown and will continue their run of appearing in every Olympic Games to offer women's water polo dating back to the year 2000.
Rachel Fattal and
Jenna Flynn scored five goals each to lead the offense with Flynn ending as the overall leading score in Santiago as she piled up 28 goals on an 85 percent shooting clip.
Ashleigh Johnson went the distance in net recording seven saves.
It was a good battle early on as
Jordan Raney opened the scoring for a 1-0 USA Lead. Canada battled back with two straight to go ahead 2-1. Flynn responded with two of her own to put the United States ahead 3-2 midway through the quarter. The two sides traded goals as Canada would draw back within one late in the period at 4-3. Raney finished what she started, capping the period with a power play strike to take a 5-3 lead into the second quarter. It stayed tight through the early part of the second quarter, anytime Team USA would try to expand their lead three goals, Canada would eventually trim it down to two. A goal from
Ryann Neushul late in the period gave Team USA their largest of the day at that point, with a four goal edge at 10-6. Canada had the last word in the period on a goal from Axelle Crevier to make it 10-7 at intermission.
In the second half the United States took control. Fattal opened the quarter with the first two goals for Team USA and would add another later in the period as the defending champions outscored Canada 6-2 in the period to take control of the match at 16-9. Canada trimmed their deficit to six early in the fourth quarter, but they would get no closer. Flynn came right back with another goal to make it a 17-10 lead for the red, white and blue. Power play goals from Raney and
Jewel Roemer put the match away and Team USA secured the 20-11 victory.
Team USA went 8/12 on power plays and 3/4 on penalties while Canada went 4/9 on power plays and 1/1 on penalties.
Scoring -
Scoresheet
USA 20 (5, 5, 6, 4) J. Flynn 5, R. Fattal 5, J. Raney 3, J. Roemer 2, R. Neushul 2, M. Steffens 1, K. Gilchrist 1, A. Johnson 1
CAN 11 (3, 4, 2, 2) H. McKelvey 4, S. Browne 3, V. Bakoc 3, A. Crevier 1
Saves - USA - A. Johnson 7 - CAN - J. Gaudreault 4
6x5 - USA - 8/12 - CAN - 4/9
Penalties - USA - 3/4 - CAN - 1/1
