US Field Hockey News

US Field Hockey News

USA Misses Return to International Atlantic Cup Final with 1-0 Loss to Japan; Great Britain Downs Germany 4-1 for Spot in Championship Game

By Chris Rogers

Virginia Beach, Va. (Oct. 11) – The USA women’s field hockey team will not get the chance to defend its tournament crown following a 1-0 loss to Japan in the final day of pool play at the International Atlantic Cup.

The USA loss, combined with a 4-1 Great Britain win over Germany, sends the USA (1-1-1) into the consolation match against Germany (0-3-0) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the USA Field Hockey National Training Center. Great Britain (1-1-1) will meet Japan (3-0-0) I n the championship game at 4 p.m.

The USA lost out on its attempt to return to the championship game in the tie-breaking criteria which placed Great Britain in the final on the basis of a better goal differential (+1, 0)

Despite holding the Japanese to no corners, the U.S. women weren’t able to match Japan’s Sachimo Iwao’s second half goal. On the goal, Sakae Morimoto sent a free hit just outside the circle along the endline to Sachimi Iwao, who tipped the ball into the boards for the only goal of the game. Japan’s goal came in the third minute of the second half and was only the second shot of the day for the Japanese.

The teams were tied at halftime, despite a 3-0 advantage in short corners to the USA.

“Overall I was very pleased,” said USA head coach Beth Anders. “The Japanese are very disciplined and very patient, and so are we. It’s just a matter of executing the finer points and being able to finish. Holding them without a corner is a very good sign.”

Captain Katie Beach agreed with Anders

“We stuck to our game plan and we pressured hard,” said Beach. “Allowing no corners is a big thing, and we showed progress today. This team is really playing like a unit, and that’s the growth we are continuing to show.”

The USA took 11 shots to just six for the Japanese, and the defense was strong early. Midway through the first half a Japanese crossing pass was tipped slightly and sat dangerously at the stroke mark, but Kristen McCann was there to poke it away from a Japanese forward and carried it out of danger for the USA. With time winding down in the second half, USA goalkeeper Peggy Storrar stopped a breakaway as Iwao got loose below the 25. Storrar saved Iwao’s shot to the endline where the USA’s Carrie Lingo started a counter attack from the far side.

“We’ve got a group of very good people,” said Anders of her team. “They are very consistent, they work hard, and they are a different team today than they were at the Pan Am Games. We are moving forward.”

Great Britain 4, Germany 1

In the day’s second game, Great Britain needed a two-goal win over Germany to advance to the championship game, and Olympian Rhona Simpson helped provide that margin with a pair of scores to lift Britain to a 4-1 victory.

Simpson scored early in the first half and added a second goal in the 41^st minute to give Great Britain its first 2-0 lead. Germany cut into that advantage when Natascha Keller connected on a field goal a minute later for a 2-1 Britain lead.

With time running out on Britain’s championship hopes, Linda Clement collected a loose ball on a penalty corner and put it into the Germany goal for a 3-1 Great Britain lead.

Jennie Bimson added an insurance goal in the final minute to send Britain to the final against Japan and drop the USA to the consolation.

Japan 1, United States 0

JPN: Sachimi Iwao (fg, 38:00)

Keepers: USA: Peggy Storrar (70 mins, 2 saves, 1 GA)

JPN: Nami Miyazaki (70 mins, 2 saves, 0 GA)

Cards:

USA: Lingo (GC, 25:00); Jelley (GC, 54:00)

JPN: Kimura (GC, 40:00); Kato (YC, 61:00)
Shots: USA 11, JPN 6

USA Starters: Peggy Storrar (GK), Tara Jelley, Tracey Larson Tracey Fuchs, Kelli Gannon, Katie Beach, Keli Smith, Jill Reeve, Carrie Lingo, Kate Barber, Dina Rizzo

Reserves: Kristen McCann, Abbey Woolley, Rachel Barger

JAPAN

Starters: Keiko Miura, Akemi Kato, Yukari Yamamoto, Chie Kimura, Nami Miyazaki (GK), Akiko Kitada, Rika Komazawa, Tomomi Komori, Emi Sakurai, Rika Ishida, Yuko Kitano

Reserves: Sachimi Iwao, Sakae Morimoto, Naoko Saito, Mayumi Ono, Yuka Ogura,

Great Britain 4, Germany 1
GBR: Rhona Simpson (FG, 8:00)
GBR: Rhona Simpson (FG, 41:00)
GER: Natascha Keller (FG, 42:00)
GBR: Linda Clement (PC, 65:00)
GBR: Jennie Bimosn (FG, 70:00)

GERMANY

Starters: Mandy Haase, Nadine Ernsting-Krienke, Anneke Bohmert, Natascha Keller, Fredericke Barth, Silke Muller, Marion Rodewald, Nina Kramer, Anke Kuhn, Julia Zwehl, Franziska Gude

Reserves: Cornelia Reiter, Kerstin Hoyer, Miriam Schmid, Janina Totzke, Eileen Hoffman

Great Britain Starters: Katy Roberts (GK), Jennie Bimson, Linda Clement, Anne Panter, Frances Houslop, Rachel Walker, Emma Rochlin, Louise Carroll, Vikki Bunce

Reserves: Kath Gray, Sarah Thomas, Sarah Blanks, Michelle Thomas (GK),