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Silver Medal for USA Women's Olympic Water Polo Team
Friday, August 22, 2008
8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM
A heart breaking loss for the USA Women's Water Polo team in the gold medal match against the Netherlands, resulting in a 9-8 final score. The Netherlands started out strong with a four shot lead in the first quarter. By the end of the second quarter the Americans had tied it 5-5. The fourth quarter was more evenly matched as the Dutch and Americans went back and forth. Betsey Armstrong ended the match with 14 saves for 24 shots. The USA goals were spread out between seven players with Steffens having two goals and Hayes, Villa, Golda, Grekorka, Van Norman, and Craig all scoring one goal each. More match details to follow.
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American Wenger back for gold medal match
Friday, August 22, 2008
 Wed, Aug 20 06:55 PM BEIJING (AP) _ U.S. water polo player Lauren Wenger will be back in the pool for the goal medal match Friday, two days after team doctors believed she broke her right hand. X-rays revealed no broken bones, U.S. coach Guy Baker said Thursday, and Wenger has been cleared to play against the Netherlands. Wenger, a center forward, is the team's most versatile player. She has size, speed, is one the team's best outside shooters and can play just about every position. She was named most valuable player at last year's World Championships after scoring 11 goals. But she missed several weeks this year because of two broken fingers, and Baker was relieved to find out she wasn't going to be out again.
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U.S. Olympic Team For Women's Water Polo Headed For Gold Medal Match After 9-8 Defeat Of Australia
Friday, August 22, 2008
8/19/2008 12:00:00 AM Beijing, China - August 19 - Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA) scored three goals late including the winner with one minute remaining to defeat Australia 9-8 and the U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo is headed back to the Gold Medal game for the first time since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The victory over Australia earlier today at the Ying Tung Natatorium also assures the women's team of medaling for the third consecutive Olympics something no other women's team has accomplished. In addition they join some pretty select company as on the men's side only six countries have won three consecutive medals at the Olympics. Team USA will battle the Netherlands for the Gold on Thursday, August 21 at 6:20pm local time in Beijing.
As for this contest it was classic USA-Australia- a battle throughout and it came down to the final minutes. Australia started the scoring first with a goal three minutes into the game but Team USA answered immediately as less than thirty seconds later Natalie Golda (Fullerton, CA) took a feed from Villa to tie the score at 1-1. Australia's Melissa Rippon skipped one in at the four minute mark of the first to give Australia back the lead at 2-1. This was short lived because Brittany Hayes (Santa Ana, CA) answered for the Americans with a lob shot tally at 2:23 remaining to tie the score at 2-2.
It was tied at two goals apiece to start the second quarter. Two minutes into the quarter center Moriah van Norman (San Diego, CA) drew a five meter penalty which was cashed in by Villa and Team USA had their first lead of the game at 3-2. At the 3:39 mark in the quarter the United States went for more as Jessica Steffens (Danville, CA) cleaned up a missed Elsie Windes (Portland, OR) shot and put home the rebound for a 4-2 advantage. Australia would quickly rally scoring back to back goals to tie the game at 4-4 with 2:36 remaining in the half.
The game remained tied into the halftime and just over a minute into the third quarter Team USA grabbed the lead back when Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA) got loose inside for a score to go up 5-4. Some two minutes later Alison Gregorka (Ann Arbor, MI) helped build the advantage with a tally and it was 6-4 USA. An Australia exclusion led to another USA goal, this time by Villa and it was 7-4 and USA was in control. Even with Australia scoring on a player advantage at the 1:39 mark in the third, the United States countered right away with Hayes scoring on a power play to go back up three at 8-5 headed to the fourth.
Despite the three goal lead this one was far from over. Gemma Beadsworth found the net for Australia to draw within two at 8-6, then Aussie goalie Alicia McCormack halted a Golda five meter penalty shot. Using that momentum the Aussies came down the other end and scored again closing to within 8-7. Four minutes would pass as the game entered the final stages and Australia tied the game on a player advantage with 2:27 remaining thanks to Kate Gynther. The United States would strike last however as they drew an exclusion and with one minute remaining. Villa, the team captain put the cap on the game with a beautiful skip shot that navigated its way into the net past multiple arms for a 9-8 lead. The defense locked down the rest of the way and it was on to the Gold Medal game for the United States.
Notes: Villa finished with a hat trick while goalie Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI) tallied eight saves. All-Around Lauren Wenger (Long Beach, CA) left the game in the closing seconds with an injury to her right hand. USA finished at 4/7 on power players while holding Australia to just 2/8.
Flash Quotes:
"I liked the way we played, both teams know each other extremely well and I just figured it would be this type of game. I liked the fourth quarter and how we played and how we were able to overcome losing a three goal lead. It was the first time in the tourney we did a good job in 5x6 defense, and then at the end our composure to run a 6x5 it is just a great testament to our training and all six players did a great job." Guy Baker - Head Coach, U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
On playing the Netherlands - "We go back tonight and start preparing for the Netherlands, we had a four day camp with them at Da Xing when we first arrived in China, so we have spent a little time together. They are playing great, they beat Russia to qualify to get here and they are a very good team under pressure." Guy Baker - Head Coach, U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
"It's unbelievable, a dream come true but we still have one more to go." Brittany Hayes, U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
Scoring:
USA: 9 (2,2,4,1) B. Villa 3, B. Hayes 2, K. Craig 1, A. Gregorka 1, J. Steffens 1, N. Golda 1
AUS: 8 (2,2,1,3) K. Gynther 3, R. Rippon 2, G. Beadsworth 1, B. Knox 1, M. Santoromito 1
Saves - USA - B. Armstrong 8 AUS - A. McCormack 15
6x5 - USA 4/7 - AUS 2/8
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Late Goal By Italy Leads To 9-9 Draw For U.S. Olympic Team For Women's Water Polo
Thursday, August 14, 2008
8/13/2008 12:00:00 AM
Beijing, China - August 13 - The U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo found themselves in a hole early on, in the lead late, and tied 9-9 when all was said and done in their match against Italy at the Ying Tung Natatorium. Elisa Casanova's goal with 22 seconds remaining following an exclusion on the United States led to a draw, the first for each team thus far in Olympic competition. Italy and the United States now both sit tied for first place with three points each, with one game remaining in pool play. Thanks to China's defeat of Russia the United States is guaranteed at least a spot in the quarterfinals.
In this contest Italy were the aggressors early on as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Team USA was a little sluggish out of the gate committing a few turnovers, yet they were able to right the ship in the second period. In the second quarter Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA) found Patty Cardenas (Commerce, CA) for a score following an Italian exclusion and USA trailed 2-1. Italy rebuilt a two goal lead immediately scoring off of a player advantage and it was 3-1 with 3:41 to go in the period. The score would see-saw back and forth as Brittany Hayes (Santa Ana, CA) then answered for the United States during a 6x5 advantage as she took a dish from Lauren Wenger (Long Beach, CA) and it was down to 3-2. Italy answered again to go up two at 4-2 but in the final 1:07 of the first half Team USA would string together an impressive two goal run.
First Hayes put an entry pass in to Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA) at the center spot, she quickly spun and buried a shot low in the nearside corner of the cage. Then with just 17 seconds left in the period Hayes again was with the ball but instead of the pass, she went lob shot on the far side of the cage and beat the goalie to tie the game at 4-4. Coming out of the intermission tied at 4-4 scoring was at a premium in the early minutes of the third. Italy finally broke through with 3:41 remaining to go up 5-4. Team USA pulled a line change as five new players joined Villa and about a minute later it was Villa scoring on a player advantage just as sides were coming even. Tied again Team USA could sense their first lead coming and it was from Jessica Steffens (Danville, CA) who rattled one in bar down and into the cage. That lead would last exactly 19 seconds as Italy scored again and it was 6-6 going into the fourth quarter.
The back and forth would continue into the fourth with Villa scoring at the 5:16 mark on a shot that just trickled in to the net but was signaled good by the goal judge. That 7-6 advantage would not last long for Team USA when Italy took advantage of a power play and tied the game up again this time at 7-7. Less than thirty seconds later three-time Olympian Heather Petri (Orinda, CA) buried a shot into the left corner from six meters out and it was a USA lead once more. Goalie Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI) 10 saves on the night, came through with a big time save on the next possession for Italy and that led to another score for the USA when fellow Michigander Alison Gregorka (Ann Arbor, MI) ripped the net to give a two goal lead at 9-7.
Italy would not go away and scored shortly after the Gregorka goal to climb within one at 9-8. Each team's defense then locked down for the next two minutes or so before a USA exclusion led to a power play for Italy and the game-tying goal by Casanova. Next up for Team USA will be a match with Russia at 2:20pm on Friday, August 15. Due to China's victory over Russia tonight Russia is unable to advance on to the quarterfinals. Team USA remains in contention for winning Group A.
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U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo Outlasts China 12-11
Monday, August 11, 2008
U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo Outlasts China 12-11 To Kickoff Olympic Play8/11/2008 12:00:00 AM Beijing, China - August 11, 2008 - The U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo were given all they could handle in their opening game against China as they battled back for a 12-11 win in their first game of Group A play at the Ying Tung Natatorium. Natalie Golda (Fullerton, CA) led the team on offense with four goals while Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA) tossed in three.
It was a back and forth contest throughout with no team able to gain much distance from the other. Golda opened the scoring at around the 5 minute mark as she cruised down the middle of the pool to about five meters before blasting one past the Chinese goal keeper. China answered right back with a goal on the next possession and then added another and they had taken a 2-1 lead. With a minute to go in the period Craig created position inside and was able to deliver tying the score at 2-2. The scoring wasn't done there as China quickly scored to go up 3-2 only to have Golda hit again following a Moriah van Norman (San Diego, CA) drawn exclusion.
It was knotted at 3-3 headed to the second when China opened up a 5-3 lead at the 6:36 mark in the period. This was short-lived as a minute later Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA) skipped one in, then Golda connected again, and Brittany Hayes (Santa Ana, CA) lit the proverbial lamp and Team USA was back in front at 6-5. At this point China pulled their starting goalkeeper Jun Yang in favor of backup Ying Tan. That spurred the Chinese on to tie the game at 6-6 with 2:19 remaining but within thirty seconds Golda has scored again and it was 7-6 in favor of the United States. China added another score to tie the game, and were seemingly go to retake the lead when Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI) came through with a clutch save at the :28 second mark. Hayes added a score on a dish from Villa with :14 tickets left and the USA were in front 8-7 at halftime.
The scoring rolled along into the third as USA took advantage of a double exclusion called against China with van Norman using multiple pump fakes before burying a shot right on the doorstep. Armstrong came up huge again denying a penalty shot on a five meter call about a minute later, but the Chinese would not waver scoring at the 2:27 mark to come within a tally at 9-8. Craig found the cage again with a little over a minute remaining and the lead was two, but China answered on a penalty shot with half a minute remaining and it was just a 10-9 game headed to the fourth.
In the final stanza China came out firing scoring back to back goals to grab the lead at 11-10 with 5:46 remaining. Not about to lay down at this point Golda passed off to Craig who put it home for her third goal and a tie game at 11-11. The difference maker came with 3:32 remaining when Lauren Wenger (Long Beach, CA) worked in on the near side, received a pass from Villa and fired it past the keeper for the lead at 12-11. Both teams would trade possessions with China having the last chance with eight seconds left. They never mustered a shot before time expired and the United States came away with the victory.
The team was solid on the player advantage going 4/6 while China went 4/9 and converted 1/2 on penalty shots.In addition an Olympics record was set for most combined goals (23) in a women’s water polo match that did not use extra time. Next up for Team USA will be a match with defending Gold Medalist Italy on Wednesday, August 13 at 3:40pm local Beijing time (12:40am PST).
Flash Quotes:
"It was an entertaining game, there were alot of good goals scored. We had been saying China is improving and I had felt that out of all three this was going to be the most competitive Olympics for women's water polo. The crowd was awesome, we anticipated China to be strong and it was a good first game to get us off on our start at the Olympics." -- Guy Baker, Head Coach - U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
On 10 first time Olympians playing their first game "I didn't get a sense of jitters or anything like that, it just felt like a first game in a major tournament, we knew there would be a great crowd and China would come out hard." -- Guy Baker, Head Coach - U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
On their next opponent Italy "Italy presents some different challenges for us. We'll get to work on them tomorrow, our goal in any major tournament is to get better by the time the tournament ends and to keep improving, so we hope to do that." Guy Baker, Head Coach - U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo
Scoring:
USA: 12 (3,5,2,2) N. Golda 4, K. Craig 3, B. Hayes 2, B. Villa 1, L. Wenger 1. M. van Norman 1
CHN: 11 (3,4,2,2) A. Gao 3, H. Sun 2, F. Teng 2, Y. Sun 2, P. Liu 1, H. Ma 1
Saves: USA - B. Armstrong 7 CHN - J. Yang 1
6x5 - USA - 4/6 CHN 4/9 (1/2 penalties)
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