USA Field Hockey News

USA Field Hockey U21 Team defeats South Africa for 7th Place at Junior World Cup

SANTIAGO - The USA Field Hockey Under-21 team defeated South Africa, 4-2, to finish in seventh place at the Junior World Cup and secure its best-ever finish in the history of the event.

"The whole staff is just really proud of the way these kids have carried themselves the entire tournament," said USA coach Tracey Fuchs. "Finishing seventh in the world is pretty good stuff. We can always strive for a higher place, but right now, we're just very proud of the way they played."

The seventh place finish was the USA's  highest-ever finish at the event after placing 10th (of 12) in 1989, 12th (of 12) in 1997 and 14th (of 15) in 2001.

Korea won its second straight Junior world Cup title with a 1-0 win over Germany in the final while The Netherlands won the bronze medal with a 2-1 win over Australia.

Playing South Africa in the 7th/8th place match, the USA jumped out to an early lead when Mia Link (Jenkintown, Pa./Virginia) tipped in a penalty corner in the third minute of the game for a 1-0 USA advantage.

But South Africa came right back on the ensuing possession as Danielle Forword connected on a field goal just seconds later to tie the game at 1-1.

The USA game back with back-to-back goals when Lauren Crandall blasted in a penalty corner in the 15th minute for her 10th goal of the tournament, and Laree Beans hit the back of teh boards with a shot from the middle of the circle to give the USA a 2-0 halftime lead.

"South Africa is a really good team," said Fuchs. "We got a lead and then we let them back into the game. But in the second half we played really, really strong in the first 15 minutes and that was the difference."

The USA used the second half intensity to increase the lead when Katie O'Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon HS) took a pass from Katie Grant (Lehighton, Pa./Duke) and deposited it past South African keeper Alana Richardson for a 4-1 advantage.

The USA defense maintained the advantage throughout the second half until South Africa's Ilse Davids knocked in a field goal in the final minute of the game for the 4-1 final.

The USA entered the Junior World Cup as the No. 9 seed and quickly became the surprise team of the tournament with a 4-2 win over England and a 2-2 draw with top-seeded The Netherlands in the first round of pool play.

After scoring the most goals of any tournament team in a 14-0 win over Zimbabwe, the USA defeated host Chile, 3-1, in front of a large, partisan crowd before suffering a 1-0 loss to Australia on a penalty corner goal in the final minute of play.

Needing a win against Spain to clinch a spot in the tournament semifinals, the USA came from two goals down late in the game to force a 4-4 draw. The draw was not enough however as the team dropped into the 5th/8th place bracket where the USA lost to Pan Am rival Argentina, 2-0, to set up the 7th/8th palce game with South Africa.

"It was awesome," said the USA's Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa./Wake Forest), "I think it was a great experience for every single one of us. Just the pride of finishing seventh in the world I think is going to be a big thing for USA field hockey."

The USA team included goalkeepers Katherine Blair (Louisville, Ky./Virginia) and Brianna O'Donnell (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton HS) in addition to field players Laurnen Powley (Mountain Top, Pa./Maryland), Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa./Wake Forest), Katie O'Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon HS), Laree Beans (Allentown, Pa./North Carolina), Rachel Dawson (Berlin, N.J./North Carolina), Lauren Ehrlichman (Wellesley, Mass./Princeton), Katie Evans (Newtown Square, Pa./Delaware), Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa./St. Marks HS), Katie Grant (Lehighton, Pa./Duke), Lori Hillman (Gibbsboro, N.J./Michigan), Michelle Kasold (Chapell Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill East), Mia Link (Jenkintown, Pa./Virginia), Cara-Lynn Lopresti (San Diego, Calif./Duke), Heather Schnepf (Medford Lakes, N.J./Iowa), Amy Stopford (Hillsborough, N.C.)/Duke) and Jamie Whitten (Maidens, Va./Wake Forest).

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