June 24, 2005

The USA opened up the 2005 IFWLA World Cup with a 13-5 victory over England at a game held at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The USA's Quinn Carney led the game with three draw controls and three goals and was named the Player of the Match. Her teammate Kelly Amonte-Hiller matched her with three goals, including the first two and three of the first five, and added three draw controls as well. The USA defense held the English off the board for the first 22:33 of the first half and the first 21:33 of the second half as vice-captain Jess Wilk led all goalies with five saves in the second half.

The USA's Kristen Sommar won the opening draw and the Americans worked the ball into their offensive zone, but lost the ball and the English attempted a clear. On the clear, they overthrew the ball and Sommar was there for the pickup to give possession back to the Stars and Stripes. A Cherie Greer shot went wide, but Carney picked up the ground ball. The Americans worked the ball to Amonte-Hiller, who took the ball on her own from the left and scored at 3:20 to give the USA the 1-0 lead. The English won the ensuing draw but threw the ball out of bounds and Crista Samaras was there to gain possession for the USA. Amonte-Hiller got the ball behind the cage, and she rolled the crease to score 1:03 after her first goal to put the Americans up 2-0. Amonte-Hiller gained possession on the ensuing draw after an English foul, and the Americans managed a pair of shots, but the English picked up the rebound and took it up the field where they got off a shot. USA netminder Chris Lindsey notched the save, and the Americans gained possession.

At the other end of the field, Randee Goldsborough got possession just outside the arc and passed the ball across the arc to Amonte-Hiller, who fired the ball right back to a wide-open Lauren Aumiller, who was in the center of the arc. Aumiller scored at 6:55 to give the USA a 3-0 lead. Sommar won the draw control and the Americans got off a shot that was saved, and the English tried to bring the ball upfield. Greer intercepted the ball in the midfield, and she took the ball to the right side of the cage and passed it across the arc to Dani Gallagher, who batted it into the net for a 4-0 lead at 8:38.

The English won the draw, but threw it away and Amonte-Hiller was there for the pickup. The Americans turned the ball over and the English took control in their offensive zone, but Jo Connelly caused a turnover and picked up the loose ball at the top of the arc, giving the USA possession. The Americans took the ball upfield where Kate Kaiser was awarded a free position shot. Her attempt hit the post and the English gained possession. They threw the ball away and Connelly picked up the loose ball, starting the American clear. The Stars and Stripes settled their attack before Goldsborough fed the ball across the arc to Amonte-Hiller, who scored her third goal of the game at 16:08 to give the USA a 5-0 lead. The English won the draw, but again threw the ball away and Amonte-Hiller was there to get possession for the USA. A the other end of the field, the Americans lost the ball and the English attempted a clear. On their attempt, however, they threw the ball away and Carney picked it up to give the USA possession. In the American offensive zone, Crista Samaras scored at 17:36 to put the Stars and Stripes up 6-0, forcing the Englist to take a time out.

Carney won the draw and Greer got off a shot that went wide, but Goldsborough was there for the pickup. She fed the ball across the arc to Gallagher, who shot the ball as she was falling to the ground. Gallagher scored in dramatic fashion, putting the USA up 7-0 at 18:14. The English won the draw and got off a shot that was saved by Lindsey, but they regained possession and were awarded a free position shot seconds later. Lindsey was up to the task, making her third save of the game and keeping the English off the scoreboard. The English then scored twice in 13 seconds as Katy Bennett rolled the crease at 22:33 and Felicity Hermson won the draw and took it right to the cage, scoring at 22:46 to pull within 7-2.

The USA answered as Amonte-Hiller won the draw and got off a shot but the English gained possession. As the English attempted to bring the ball into their offensive zone, Bonnie Rosen intercepted a pass and brought the ball upfield where the Americans worked the ball around. Carney was detained in the arc, and she converted the free position shot at 26:00 to give the USA an 8-2 lead. The English won the draw and took the ball upfield where they settled their attack before Lucy Lynch fired a shovel shot that found the top of the net to pull the English within five at 8-3 at the 27:02 mark. Carney won the draw but the Americans lost the ball. The English turned the ball back over, throwing the ball out of bounds and Kaiser was there to get possession for the Americans. Again the Stars and Stripes turned the ball over but Samaras intercepted the pass and got the ball to Aumiller, who moved around a defender in the arc and scored her second goal of the game at 29:28 to give the Americans a 9-3 lead they took into the half.

Sarah Nelson won the draw to open the second half, but the Americans turned the ball over in their offensive zone and the English transitioned the ball upfield where they were awarded an 11m shot. US goalie Jess Wilk made a save on the shot, and the two teams traded possessions in the midfield before England's Lynch brought the ball upfield quickly and got off a shot that Wilk saved. The English got the rebound and attempted a pass through the goal circle, but Wilk tipped it and Sommar picked up the loose ball. The Americans attempted a clear, but again the English gained possession and again Lynch took a shot that Wilk saved. Again the two teams traded possession in the midfield, with the Americans finally gaining possession as Sommar intercepted a pass by the restraining line. In the offensive zone, Carney was fouled as she drove to the cage from the top. She converted the shot, giving the Americans a 10-3 lead at 50:50. Amonte-Hiller won the draw and Aumiller's shot was saved, giving the English the ball. At the other end of the field Hermson converted a 2-v-1 fast break with Alisa Stott at 51:33, breaking a 24:31 scoreless streak for the English. Sarah Butt won the draw for the English, and Bennett scored her second goal of the game 35 seconds after Hermson to pull within five at 10-5.

Aumiller won the draw to herself, and got the ball to Sommar, who attacked the cage, drew her defender, and dumped the ball to Carney, who scored 39 seconds after England to put the Americans up 11-5. Again Aumiller won the draw to herself, and she passed the ball to Carney, who passed right away to Kaiser. Kaiser took the ball right to the cage, scoring 22 seconds after Carney's goal to put the Stars and Stripes up 12-5. The English won the draw, but they turned it over on an illegal pick and Samaras took control of the ball. The Americans took the ball upfield but turned it over in their offensive zone, and the English took the ball back upfield where Wilk made a pair of saves in the final few minutes, giving possession back to the Stars and Stripes. At the other end of the field, Samaras worked in the arc and scored at 59:22 to give the USA the 13-5 lead.

The USA leads Pool A at the World Cup with a 1-0 lead and will play Wales tomorrow (Friday), who lost to Canada 12-5 in a game earlier on Thursday.