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USA Field Hockey News
USA Field Hockey Men fall to Netherlands Antilles, 2-1 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The USA Field Hockey men saw their hopes for a trip to the Pan Am Games semifinals dashed following a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands Antilles in the team’s final game of pool play. “We’re all very
disappointed,” said U.S. coach Nick Conway. “We meant to give our selves an
opportunity (for the semifinals) and we never got out of the starting gate.” The game looked to have the makings of a high-scoring contest after Netherlands Antilles struck quickly off a counter attack when Gijs Hardeman knocked in a rebound off the pads of USA keeper Jason Wellings (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) three minutes into the game. The USA quickly answered four minute later when Jon Ginolfi (Simi Valley, Calif.) spun around in the circle and chipped a shot into the Antilles cage to even the score. As it had in previous games, the USA took control of the match and played much of the first half on the Antilles’ side of the field. But the USA was unable to convert on chances inside the circle and four first-half penalty corner opportunities proved unproductive as the teams went into halftime tied at 1-1. “We didn’t have the quality in the front end to put a goal in,” said Conway on the USA’s wasted chances. “If we would have put one in we probably would have hit two or three, but we didn’t do it and it cost us dearly.” The USA woes inside the circle continued in the second half as the team again saw scoring opportunities fall a step slow and a stick short. A Ginolfi shot from the center of the circle rolled just outside the right post and Brian Schledorn (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) were unable to get a stick on a pass in front of an empty cage. Martin again was denied late in the game when his blast from the right side of the circle was saved by Netherlands Antilles keeper Daan Vismans and his shot off the rebound soared over the cage. “We’re disappointed,” said U.S. vice-captain Pat Cota (Camarillo, Calif.). “We went in with high expectations and we knew it was going to be a tough game. Our attacking was there it was our finishing inside the 25 that kind of let us down.” Netherlands Antilles finally broke the deadlock in the 64th minute when Ivo Elsenaar scored following a scramble in front of the U.S. cage to give his team the win and send the USA into a battle for the fifth and final Olympic qualifying tournament berth. “We’re starting a new tournament now,” said Conway. “Somehow we have to put this behind us as quickly as we can and try to secure fifth place.” www.usfieldhockey.com Netherlands
Antilles 2, USA 1 USA Starters:
Jon Ginolfi (Simi Valley, Calif.), Binh Hoang (Westlake Village, Calif.),
Brian Schledorn (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.),
Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Rinku Bhamber (Sim Valley, Calif.),
Shawn Nakamura (Camarillo, Calif.), Sean Harris (Moorpark, Calif.), Jason
Wellings (Thousand Oaks, Calif.),
USA Field Hockey 2007 Pan American Games Team
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