USA Field Hockey News

Lauren Crandall goal late in the second half gave the USA a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan.

USA Field Hockey Women Down Azerbaijan; U.S. to Play England for Third Place at Champions Challenge

BAKU, Azerbaijan – The USA Field Hockey Women's National Team used some last-minute heroics for the third consecutive game to defeat host Azerbaijan 2-1 at the Champions Challenge.

Lauren Crandall's penalty corner goal with five minutes left in the match gave the USA (3-1-1, 10 pts.) the win and sent the team into Sunday's 3rd/4th place match against England (2-2-1, 7 pts.). China (4-1-0, 12 pts.) will meet Korea (4-1-0, 12 pts.) in the championship game while New Zealand (1-4-0, 3 pts.) will take on Azerbaijan (0-5-0, 0 pts.) in the 5th/6th place game).

Crandall's goal capped a USA second half comeback after Azerbaijan had taken a 1-0 lead at early in the second period on Inoyathon Jafarova's penalty corner goal.

The USA responded quickly when April Fronzoni tapped in a pass from Crandall five minutes later to knot the game at 1-1. The goal was the third of the tournament for Fronzoni who has earlier scored the game-tying goal in a 2-2 draw with England and the winning goal on a final-play penalty corner goal in a 1-0 win over New Zealand.

The USA and the goalkeeper combination of Amy Tran and Jill Dedman absorbed three second-half Azerbaijan penalty corner attempts to keep the game tied until the USA drew a penalty corner of its own when Fronzoni was tackled hard outside the circle.

Crandall's subsequent hit went through the Azerbaijan post player and into the goal on a hit protested as too high by the Azerbaijan players. But umpires Dawn Henning of England and Lisette Klaassen of the Netherlands upheld the goal to give the USA the win.

The game marked the international debut for the USA's Vianney Campos who earned her first international cap in the match.

The tournament marks the USA's final international competition prior to the Pan American Games, July 15-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The winner of the Pan Am Games earns the continent's automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games.
 

USA 2, Azerbaijan 1
AZE: Inoyathon Jafarova (PC, 38:00)
USA: April Fronzoni (FG, 43:00)
USA: Lauren Crandall (PC, 64:00)

USA Starters: Melissa Leonetti, Rachel Dawson, Sarah Dawson, Tiffany Snow, April Fronzoni, Dana Sensenig, Katelyn Falgowski, Amy Tran (GK), Caroline Nichols, Lauren Crandall, Lauren Powley

Reserves: Laura Suchoski, Sara Silvetti, Michelle Kasold, Claire Laubach, Jill Dedman (GK), Vianney Campos

DNP:  Dina Rizzo, Katleyn Falgowski

USA Field Hockey Champions Challenge Team

www.usafieldhockey.com