Ostia, Italy - December 18 - The USA Women's National Team lost to Italy in a penalty shootout, 17-16, on Saturday in the second exhibition game in Ostia.
Jenna Flynn scored four in the victory while
Amanda Longan recorded six saves in the cage. Team USA will now travel to the Netherlands for more cross training with the Dutch.
Team USA captain
Maggie Steffens and attacker
Ryann Neushul began the game with a pair of goals from the perimeter but Italy registered three scores of their own to claim a 3-2 lead after one. In the second period, Neushul produced two more goals for a first half hat trick and Flynn put home her first of the day for the United States while the hosts managed just one score and the Americans led at the break, 5-4.
Italy battled back to level the score in the third quarter, netting two goals in the period. The United States found one from outside via
Jordan Raney, so the game entered the final frame all tied up at 6-6. In the fourth, Flynn (penalty shot) and Raney (player advantage) added to their totals but the Italians earned two penalty attempts and knocked them down to send the game into overtime knotted at 8-8. In a penalty shot shootout, the host country buried all nine attempts while Team USA failed to convert on one of its nine to set the final score.
Team USA went 3/7 on power plays and 1/1 on penalties prior to the shootout while Italy went 1/3 on power plays and 3/3 on penalties prior to the shootout.
Scoring
USA 16 (2, 3, 1, 2, 8) J. Flynn 4, M. Steffens 3, R. Neushul 3, J. Raney 3, R. Fattal 2, J. Roemer 1
ITA 17 (3, 1, 2, 2, 9)
Saves - USA - A. Longan 6 - ITA - 7
6x5 - USA - 3/7 - ITA - 1/3
Penalties - USA - 1/1 (8/9 SO) - ITA - 3/3 (9/9 SO)
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