US Field Hockey News

US Field Hockey News

US Field Hockey Women Down Chile in Tour Opener

Santiago – Tracey Larson scored two goals to lead the U.S. women's field hockey team to a 3-2 win over Chile in the opening game of the team's Chile/Argentina Tour.

Larson converted a pair of penalty corner goals in the first 20 minutes of play and Dina Rizzo added a field goal at the end of the first half to give the USA a 3-0 halftime lead. Chile connected two goals in the final nine minutes to complete the scoring.

The game served as a reunion for some former members of the two teams' junior squads who met at the 1999 USA Junior Four National Tournament at Kean Univ. in Union, N.J. The USA's Robyn Kenney, Amy Tran, Melanie Meerschwam and Abbey Woolley competed in the tournament with the Under-20 team, while Valentina Martin, Veronica Walbaum, Paula Infante, Carolina Varas, Fernanda Rodriguez, Nicoletta Lemonci and Javiera Villagra represented Chile's junior team at the event. Current U.S. national team members Jessica Coleman and Abby Martin also competed in the junior event, but did not travel on the tour. The U.S. junior team defeated Chile 7-0 and 2-1 to earn third place at the 1999 event.

With three games scheduled against Chile and three games against World Champion Argentina, the tour will provide the U.S. team a preview of the competition they could see at the Pan American Games, Aug. 2-23, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Argentina and Chile will begin the Pan Am Games in Pool A with Trinidad & Tobago and the Dominican Republic, while the U.S. opens in Pool B with Canada, Jamaica and Uruguay. The winner of the Pan Am Games receives an automatic berth in the 2004 Olympic Games.

The U.S. was scheduled to continue its series with Chile on June 6 and 7 before heading to Buenos Aires for games against the Argentina national team and "B" squad.

USA 3, Chile 2

USA: Tracey Larson (PC, 10:00)
USA: Tracey Larson (PC, 18:00)
USA: Dina Rizzo (FG, 32:00)
CHI: (FG, 61:00)
CHI: (PC, 68:00)

USA: Mimi Smith, Kristen McCann, Peggy Stoorar (GK)), Tara Jelley, Robyn Kenney, Tracey Larson, Kelli Gannon, Tracey Fuchs, Katie Beach, Dina Rizzo, Keli smith, Melanie Meerschwam, Carrie Lingo, Kim Miller, Abbey Woolley

CHILE: Carolina Pinto, Paula Infante, Veronica Walbaum, Carolina Albertz, Fernanda Rodriquez, Jariera Villagra, Carolina Varas, Francisca Debesa, M. Jose Fernandez, Carloina Thermann, Carolina Garcia, Kay Rojas, Nicoletto Lemonci, Valentina Martin, Fernanda Rodriquez, Nicole Benard, Magdalena Walbaurn

CARDS: CHI: Carolina Varas (G); USA: Melanie Meerschwam (G), Carrie Lingo (G), Tracey Larson (Y)