USA Field Hockey News

	USA's Keli Smith

Japan Tops USA Women in Olympic Qualifier Opener

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – The USA Field Hockey women’s team suffered an early setback to its Olympic hopes as Japan topped the USA, 3-1, in the team’s first game at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

“I think like any competitor you’re disappointed,” said USA coach Beth Anders following the opening game loss. “But it’s a long tournament so you have to pick your head up and get ready for the next game.”

The USA needs to finish in the top five of the 10-team tournament to earn a spot in the Athens Olympic Games this summer.

“Japan is really a very good team so I give them all the credit,” said USA coach Beth Anders. “I thought we played a very good first half against each other, but Japan really took over the game in the second half.

Following a noon-time start, both team’s raced up and down the sun-drenched  Lloyd Elsomore Park turf in the evenly-played first 35-minutes. But midway through the half Japan’s Rika Komazawa slammed a penalty corner shot past USA keeper Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, N.Y.) to give Japan a hard-fought, 1-0 lead.

The U.S. saw two penalty corner attempts thwarted without a shot on goal early in the game, but earned a third opportunity in the final minute of the half. Tracey Fuchs (Centereach, N.Y.)

But the U.S. failed to keep the momentum in the second half as the team was plagued by over-hit passes.

“You have to keep the ball longer than we kept it,” said Anders on the team’s second half performance. “You can’t give it up after one or two passes. But give Japan credit, they really stepped up.”

Japan added a pair of penalty corner goals in the second half from Sakae Morimoto and Sachimi Iwao to clinch its second victory of the tournament. Japan earned nine penalty corner opportunities to the USA’s three.

The USA will continue its quest for an Olympic berth on Sunday against Korea.

“We have to re-group and do the best we can,” added Anders. “We’re just going to re-group and come out and play tomorrow.

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Japan 3, USA 1

JPN: Rika Ishida (PC, 17:00)
USA: Tracey Fuchs (PC, 34:00)
JPN: Sakae Morimoto (PC,  47:00)
JPN: Sachimi Iwao (PC, 55:00)

USA Starters: Angie Loy, Kristen McCann, Peggy Storrar (GK), Tara Jelley, Tracey larson, Tracey Fuchs, Katie Beach, Keli Smith, Carrie Lingo, Kate Barber, Dina Rizzo

Reserves: April Fronzoni

Japan Starters: Rie Terazono, Meiko Miura, Akemi Kato, Yukari Yamamoto, Sachimi Iwao, Chie Kimura, Sakae Mormimoto, Naoko Saito, Tomomi Komori, Akiko Kitada, Rika Nomazawa

Reserves: Kaori Chiba, Megumi Ohmura