Atherton, CA - June 12 - The Team USA Women defeated Greece 11-9 in the second game of an exhibition series tonight. Maddie Musselman scored five times as Ashleigh Johnson notched six saves in the cage. A replay of the game can be found here.
Early on in the opening quarter, Ella Woodhead found Maggie Steffens for the first goal of the game to put Team USA on the board first. Maria Myriokefalitaki had an immediate answer for Greece and tacked on one more minutes later to take the lead. Midway through the quarter, Rachel Fattal leveled the score for the United States on a player advantage. Vasiliki Plevritou found the back of the net late to send Greece into the second with a 3-2 lead.
Eleni Xenaki scored to begin the second period and push the Greeks up by two. Then, Musselman began her big night with back-to-back goals to tie the score. Christina Siouti responded for Greece but Musselman would not be denied as she scored again for a second quarter hat trick. From there, Musselman set up Steffens for her second of the night before Eleftheria Fountotou found one for Greece to make the score 6-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Eirini Ninou and Nikoleta Eleftheriadou hit two consecutive shots to retake the lead again. Team USA turned to Musselman and Steffens for goals to get back into the game and then Jordan Raney gave the Americans a 9-8 lead headed to the final frame.
Musselman continued an epic night in the water with her fifth goal to start the fourth period and Raney found another with a beautiful lob over the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper. With 2:43 remaining, Eleftheriadou found the back of the net for Greece, but that was all they could muster as Team USA picked up the win, 11-9.
Scoring - Stats via 6-8 Sports
USA 11 (2, 4, 3, 2) M. Musselman 5, M. Steffens 3, J. Raney 2, R. Fattal 1
GRE 9 (3, 3, 2, 1) N. Eleftheriadou 2, M. Myriokefalitaki 2, E. Xenaki 1, E. Ninou 1, C. Siouti 1, V. Plevritou 1, E. Fountotou 1
6-on-5: USA 5/12, GRE 2/4
Penalties: USA 0/1, GRE 0/0
Saves: USA 10 (A. Johnson 6, A. Longan 4), GRE 5 (I. Stamatopoulou 3, C. Diamantopoulou 2)
