U.S. Women Top New Zealand in Extra Time, 1-0

PERTH, Australia – Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.) scored the game-winning golden goal four minutes into extratime to lift the U.S. women’s field hockey team to a 1-0 win over New Zealand in the crossover phase of the 10^th Women’s World Cup.

With the win, the U.S. will play in the 9^th -10^th  place game against Japan on Saturday, while New Zealand will face Scotland in the 11^th-12^th place match.

“We had a good attack on the right side,” said Smith on the game winner. “When I got the ball at the top of the circle, I was really just trying to push it in and put it on goal for the forwards to play.  I just got lucky, because it hit a foot and went in. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but I got a little lucky.”

The game also wasn’t the prettiest for the USA team.  Relegated to defense through much of the second half, the U.S. slugged it out with the tournament’s #5 seeded team through a scoreless 70-minutes of regulation time in humid, 88-degree conditions.

“I thought it was probably our worst game,” said U.S. coach Tracey Belbin. “We made it very difficult for ourselves just by not delivering the ball well, not releasing it early to options and not being smart about getting the ball out. New Zealand put us under a lot of pressure in the back, but we need to be smarter about moving off the ball and getting it through.”

Following a scoreless first half, New Zealand continued to apply the pressure and kept the U.S. pinned in its end through much of the second period. U.S. goalkeeper Peggy Storrar collected two second half saves and the team survived four Kiwi penalty corner attempts to push the game into extra time.

The U.S. had a chance to end the game at the end of regulation, but two penalty corner attempts misfired as time expired.

“Someone said ‘don’t make it go 15 minutes, because we can’t last,’” laughed Belbin on the team’s discussion before the extra period. “So I said fine, just make it two minutes.”

New Zealand almost ended the game even earlier when the Kiwis were awarded a penalty corner 30 seconds into extra time. However, the U.S. survived once again and countered with an attack that led to Smith’s overtime heroics.

“They definitely had us back on our heals for a few minutes,” said Smith . “But at least we came out ahead in overtime. It was a real team effort.”

The victory marked the USA’s second win over a 2000 Olympic Games competitor after the team earlier downed South Africa, 3-0. The U.S. did not qualify for the 10-team Olympic Games in Sydney and entered the World Cup as the #11 seed.

In Friday’s World Cup semifinals, Argentina was set to meet defending champion Australia, while The Netherlands was scheduled to face China.

“The important thing about this game is that it was really tough and we struggle through it,” said Belbin  “I think it was great for this team. When the chips were down, we really had to pull together and we did that when it really counted.”

USA 1, New Zealand  0
USA: Keli Smith (fg, 74:00)

 
New Zealand Starters: Paula Enoka, Sandy Bennett, Rachel Sutherland, Piki Hamahona, Michelle Turner, Suzie Pearce, Helen Clarke (GK), Caryn Paewai, Diana Weavers, Amanda Christie, Niniwa Roberts-Lang

USA Starters: Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, N.Y., gk), Tracey Fuchs (Centereach, N.Y.), Katie Beach (West Lawn, Pa.), Melanie Meerschwam (Princeton, N.J.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Jill Reeve (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.), Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Carla Tagliente (Corland, N.Y.), Tara Jelley (Greenfield, Mass), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Tracey Larson (Morrisville, Pa.)

Subs: Antoinette Lucas (Richmond, Va.), Kelli Gannon (Escondido, Calif.), Kristen McCann (Allentown, Pa.), Kim Miller (Virginia Beach, Va.), Jenny Everett (Rutland, Vt.)

DNP: Mimi Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.), Jill Dedman (Orange, Conn.),