USA Women Open FINA World Championships With 12-8 Victory over Greece
Barcelona, Spain - July 21 - The USA Water Polo Women's National Team started off the 2013 FINA World Championships in strong fashion with a 12-8 victory over the defending gold medalist, Greece. Behind a strong second half and a balanced offensive attack the United States moved to 1-0 in preliminary play with Canada up next on Tuesday.
Maggie Steffens
(Danville, CA/Stanford/Diablo) scored three goals, all in the fourth period, to lead the offense and
Betsey Armstrong
(Ann Arbor, MI/Michigan/NYAC) recorded 13 saves to anchor the defense. The match will air on delay on Universal Sports today at 6pm et/3pm pt.
The 2011 World Champions started the match off hot scoring two straight goals in the first three minutes to build a 2-0 lead. The United States answered when Kiley Neushul (Goleta, CA/Stanford/SBWPF) converted a penalty shot to leave Team USA trailing 2-1 with 4:21 left in the first. That was the score in the second period when the United States took their first lead on consecutive goals from Kelly Rulon (San Diego, CA/UCLA/NYAC) and Courtney Mathewson (Anaheim Hills, CA/UCLA/NYAC) for a 3-2 advantage. After failing on a power play, Greece was able to find the net on a lob shot with 2:55 remaining in the half to tie the game at 3-3. 90 seconds later Rachel Fattal (Seal Beach, CA/UCLA/SOCAL) scored on a player advantage for a 4-3 lead. Greece had the last word in the first half knocking home a shot off the post on a power play for a 4-4 game at intermission.
KK Clark (Menlo Park, CA/UCLA/NYAC) opened up the scoring less than a minute into the third period with an outside shot for a 5-4 lead. While the United States would never trail after that, the two teams proceeded to trade goals for the majority of the period. Greece hit from the outside only to see Mathewson score her second of the game with 6:16 left in the period for a 6-5 USA lead. Moments later Greece would even the match once more only to give way to Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/SBWPF) rearranging the defense inside for a 7-6 advantage. Rulon closed out the period skipping a shot over the goalkeepers head for an 8-6 lead as play moved to the fourth.
Team USA continued their offensive onslaught in the final period as Steffens got going with her first goal of the game to build a 9-6 lead. After a field block killed off a Greece power play, Neushul scored on a skipshot for a 10-6 lead. Steffens followed with a skip of her own and the United States were cruising, up 11-6. Greece stopped the bleeding with an outside shot with 2:02 remaining but it did not halt the USA attack. Steffens found the cage for the third time from the outside for a 12-7 lead with less than a minute to play. Greece tacked on one final goal but it did not factor in the decision, and the United States came away winners 12-8.
The United States earned just two exclusions in addition to the penalty and converted one of those opportunities while Greece went 2/8 on the power play.
Scoring - Scoresheet
USA 12 (1, 3, 4, 4) M. Steffens 3, K. Rulon 2, C. Mathewson 2, K. Neushul 2, K. Clark 1, R. Fattal 1, K. Craig 1
GRE 8 (2, 2, 2, 2)
Saves - USA - B. Armstrong 13
6x5 - USA - 1/2 - GRE 2/8
Penalties - USA - 1/1 - GRE 0/0
Flash Quotes
"First game is always tough, alot of anxiousness and nervousness, we handled our nerves decently in the first quarter, we played a great second half. I'm proud of this team and the way they played in the second half and fourth quarter." Adam Krikorian , USA Women's Head Coach
On younger players debut
"I'm really proud of them but we can't get too excited, they can't get too excited. Alot of the time young players enjoy their moments in the sun a little bit too long. We gotta be able to perform like that again on Tuesday." Adam Krikorian , USA Women's Head Coach
--
Greg Mescall
Director of Communications
USA Water Polo
714-500-5455
[email protected]
The 2011 World Champions started the match off hot scoring two straight goals in the first three minutes to build a 2-0 lead. The United States answered when Kiley Neushul (Goleta, CA/Stanford/SBWPF) converted a penalty shot to leave Team USA trailing 2-1 with 4:21 left in the first. That was the score in the second period when the United States took their first lead on consecutive goals from Kelly Rulon (San Diego, CA/UCLA/NYAC) and Courtney Mathewson (Anaheim Hills, CA/UCLA/NYAC) for a 3-2 advantage. After failing on a power play, Greece was able to find the net on a lob shot with 2:55 remaining in the half to tie the game at 3-3. 90 seconds later Rachel Fattal (Seal Beach, CA/UCLA/SOCAL) scored on a player advantage for a 4-3 lead. Greece had the last word in the first half knocking home a shot off the post on a power play for a 4-4 game at intermission.
KK Clark (Menlo Park, CA/UCLA/NYAC) opened up the scoring less than a minute into the third period with an outside shot for a 5-4 lead. While the United States would never trail after that, the two teams proceeded to trade goals for the majority of the period. Greece hit from the outside only to see Mathewson score her second of the game with 6:16 left in the period for a 6-5 USA lead. Moments later Greece would even the match once more only to give way to Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/SBWPF) rearranging the defense inside for a 7-6 advantage. Rulon closed out the period skipping a shot over the goalkeepers head for an 8-6 lead as play moved to the fourth.
Team USA continued their offensive onslaught in the final period as Steffens got going with her first goal of the game to build a 9-6 lead. After a field block killed off a Greece power play, Neushul scored on a skipshot for a 10-6 lead. Steffens followed with a skip of her own and the United States were cruising, up 11-6. Greece stopped the bleeding with an outside shot with 2:02 remaining but it did not halt the USA attack. Steffens found the cage for the third time from the outside for a 12-7 lead with less than a minute to play. Greece tacked on one final goal but it did not factor in the decision, and the United States came away winners 12-8.
The United States earned just two exclusions in addition to the penalty and converted one of those opportunities while Greece went 2/8 on the power play.
Scoring - Scoresheet
USA 12 (1, 3, 4, 4) M. Steffens 3, K. Rulon 2, C. Mathewson 2, K. Neushul 2, K. Clark 1, R. Fattal 1, K. Craig 1
GRE 8 (2, 2, 2, 2)
Saves - USA - B. Armstrong 13
6x5 - USA - 1/2 - GRE 2/8
Penalties - USA - 1/1 - GRE 0/0
Flash Quotes
"First game is always tough, alot of anxiousness and nervousness, we handled our nerves decently in the first quarter, we played a great second half. I'm proud of this team and the way they played in the second half and fourth quarter." Adam Krikorian , USA Women's Head Coach
On younger players debut
"I'm really proud of them but we can't get too excited, they can't get too excited. Alot of the time young players enjoy their moments in the sun a little bit too long. We gotta be able to perform like that again on Tuesday." Adam Krikorian , USA Women's Head Coach
Greg Mescall
Director of Communications
USA Water Polo
714-500-5455
[email protected]
2124 Main Street, Ste. 240 Huntington Beach, CA 92648
www.youtube.com/usawp
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