USA Women Topple Hungary 16-7 In Second Match Of World Championships
7/19/2011 12:00:00 AM
Shanghai, China – July 19 – The USA Women’s National Team bounced back from an opening round draw against the Netherlands to pound Hungary 16-7 in their second match of the FINA World Championships. The victory keeps the squad in contention to win their group, with one match remaining, a Thursday evening battle with Kazakhstan at 5pm/2am pst. In the victory over Hungary seven different scorers contributed with Courtney Mathewson (Anaheim Hills, CA/UCLA/NYAC) leading the charge posting three goals. Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI/Michigan/NYAC) went all four quarters in net turning aside 11 shots.
The United States started the match off in strong fashion when less than thirty seconds in Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/Santa Barbara WPF) turned out of two meters and found the cage for a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later it was more Craig on a great dish from Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA/Stanford/Olympic Club) making use of a 6 on 4 advantage for the score and a 2-0 lead. Hungary rebounded quickly to tie the game at 2-2 with 2:37 left but that was short lived when Lauren Wenger (Long Beach, CA/USC/NYAC) redirected a pass into the cage for a score and a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second period Hungary struck first drawing a five meter penalty and connecting to tie the game at 3-3 with 4:29 left in the quarter. Team USA went back to two meters and this time it was Annika Dries (Laguna Beach, CA/Stanford/SET) delivering on a turnaround fadeaway shot to put the USA in front 4-3. Hungary answered on the next possession with an outside shot to even the match at 4-4. From then on it was all Team USA. Dries came back at the 1:18 mark with a score from inside, then Mathewson buried a shot from distance, and with one second left in the period Villa struck from well beyond five meters. When the dust settled the United States was in control 7-4 at intermission.
Momentum continued to build early in the third quarter when Villa found the cage again on a lob shot for an 8-4 lead. Hungary answered on their next possession but the United States immediately followed with a score when Villa dished off to Wenger who scored from in close to make the score 9-5 in favor of the United States. Fast forward to the 4:56 mark and Hungary got one back on a power play to make it 9-6. Not long after it was Elsie Windes (Portland, OR/California/Tulatin Hills) knocking it in from the perimeter and then Maggie Steffens (Danville, CA/Monte Vista HS/Diablo) connecting on a power play to put the United States up 11-6. Hungary found the net on a player advantage at the 1:25 mark but with nine seconds to go in the quarter Mathewson hit on a five meter penalty shot to put the United States in front 12-7 going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the United States. The offense continued their assault as Heather Petri (Orinda, CA/California/NYAC) opened the scoring with a shot that trickled past the keeper for a 13-7 game. Maggie Steffens came back with another score, followed a minute later by a Mathewson counter attack goal and the USA was cruising up 15-7. A final chance by Hungary was halted on a great save by Armstrong and Petri put a bow on things with a shot from seven meters to put the USA up 16-7 with less than a minute to play. That is how the match would end and the United States picked up their first victory of the 2011 FINA World Championships.
Team USA went 3-8 on power plays while Hungary was 2-7. The United States was 1-1 on penalty shots, Hungary was 2-2.
Scoring – Scoresheet
USA – 16 (3, 4, 5, 4) C. Mathewson 3, H. Petri 2, B. Villa 2, L. Wenger 2, A. Dries 2, K. Craig 2, M. Steffens 2, E. Windes 1
HUN 7 (2, 2, 3, 0)
Saves – USA – B. Armstrong - 11
6x5 – USA 3/8 – HUN – 2/7
Penalties – USA 1/1 – HUN 2/2
Women's National Team