US Field Hockey News
U.S. Field Hockey Women Conclude
Sweep of Jamaica, 6-0
Virginia
Beach, Va. – Jessica Coleman scored three goals as the U.S. women's field hockey
team concluded a four-game sweep of the Jamaica national squad with a 6-0 win at the U.S.
Field Hockey National Training Center.
Coleman's hat trick gave her a goal in
each of the four games in the series and raised her series goal total to seven .
Both sides used the series as a tune-up
for the Pan American Games scheduled for Aug. 2-13 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The winner of the Pan Am Games receives the continent’s automatic berth in the 2004
Olympic Games.
"It's alway good to play lots of
different teams and different styles of play," said the USA's Tracey Fuchs, who will
be looking to make her firth appearance in the Pan American Games. "We could play
every day and not complain. But, Jamaica will be improved at the Pan Ams, and it's
definitely an advantage any time we can play someone in our pool."
The U.S. and Jamaica will meet each other
in Pool B at the Pan American Games along with Canada and Uruguay. World champion and
tournament favorite Argentina headlines Pool A along with Chile, Trinidad & Tobago and
the host Domincan Republic.
After a 4-2 win by the U.S. Under-23 team
on Friday and 8-0 and 8-1 wins by the U.S. National Team over the weekend, the U.S.
continued to put pressure on Jamaica keeper Lorie McIntosh in the early minutes of the
game before Mimi Smith finally connected on a penalty corner goal in the 10th minute of
play. Tara Jelley added a goal nine minutes later to give the U.S. a 2-0 halftime
lead.
After using much of the series perfecting
her drag flick in penalty corner situations, Coleman scored her first goal of the game
from the field after taking a perfect pass from Jelley and blasting it into the back of
the cage to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead early in the second half.. After Fuchs converted a
penalty corner for a 4-0 U.S. advantage, Coleman used the drag flick to close out the
scoring with two penalty corner goals in the final six minutes.
U.S. goalkeeper Peggy Storrar smothered
Jamaica's best scoring opportunities after knocking down a blast from Erica May-Chambers
and safely saving Jamaica's two second half penalty corner attempts.
The U.S. team will next travel to Italy,
July 5-13, for the Champions Challenge where it will meet Germany, Korea, Japan, New
Zealand host Italy in Catania.
June 23 at
Virginia Beach, 4:45 p.m.
USA 6, Jamaica 0
USA: Mimi Smith (pc, 10:00)
USA: Tara Jelley (pc, 19:00)
USA: Jessica Coleman (fg, 45:00)
USA: Tracey Fuchs (pc, 51:00)
USA: Jessica Coleman (pc, 64:00)
USA: Jessica Coleman (pc, 69:00)
USA Starters: Mimi Smith, Peggy
Storrar (gk), Tara Jelley, Kelli Gannon, Tracey Fuchs, Jill Reeve, Melanie Meerschwam,
Tracey Larson, Carrie Lingo, Abby Martin, Kim Miller
Subs: Natalie Dawson, Robyn Kenney, Abbey Woolley, Jessica Coleman
Jamaica Starters: Lori McIntosh (gk), Azra Blythe,Annmarie Smith, Andrea Corban, Erica May
Chambers, Chantel Russell, Andrea Allen, Sharee Russell, Carla Hewett, Kadene Brown,
Shareeka Elliott,
Subs: Karen Wilson, Shakeela
Elliott, Shackera Williams, Monique Williams, Glenice Green (gk)
CArds: JAM - Sharee Russell (G,
62:00)
Umpires: Jun Kentwell, Renee Zelkin
www.usfieldhockey.com
|
|
