In front of a loud crowd, Uruguay and Mexico battled under the lights in the final match of pool play. At the start of the match, Janine Stanley was honored for her 50th cap by Dr. Danae Andrada, the President of the Uruguayan Hockey Federation. The match started with much of the ball movement in Uruguay’s attacking half. However, Stanley, Sofia Mora and Lucia Lamberti struggled to generate offensive momentum long enough to score. Mora kept up and scored the first goal of the match off a penalty corner in the 14th minute.
Early in the second period, Mexico’s Captain Michel Navarro looked to create attacking opportunities for her team. Mexico was able to keep the ball much longer in its attacking half, while Mexico’s Dafne Carmona continued to make it hard for the Uruguayan attack, such as Soledad Villar, to generate plays. Similar to the first period, the Uruguayan staff frequently substituted its attacking players. Late into the second half, Navarro was still working hard to create a good attacking opportunity for Mexico. Agustina Taborda and Agustina Nieto played solid defense, but Uruguay could not generate another score before the half.
Uruguay asserted itself to start the third period. Constanza Barrandeguy’s low penalty corner goal put Uruguay ahead by two goals in the 32nd minute. Uruguay kept up its attacking pressure, but the shot off its next penalty corner went wide. In the 36th minute, Jessica Sanchez was awarded a yellow card; and Uruguay immediately took advantage as Manuela Vilar Del Valle converted a penalty corner to make it a Uruguay three, Mexico nill score. With Sanchez still out, Navarro had a hard shot on goal blocked by Uruguay’s keeper Rossana Paselle Decia; and then Mexico earned their first penalty corner of the match, but the shot went just wide of the goal cage. Uruguay quickly countered back on attack, but Jesus Castillo, Mexico’s keeper, made a big save to prevent another Uruguay penalty corner goal. Uruguay’s next penalty corner play was perfectly executed and Matilde Kliche’s penalty corner goal in the 44th minute ended the third period scoring and made the score Uruguay 4, Mexico nill.
At the start of the fourth period, Uruguay’s reserve keeper Victoria Beares entered the match. Mireya Bianchi continued to work hard on defense for Mexico, but Uruguay continued to earn more penalty corners. Off an initial penalty corner shot by Sofia Mora, this time Florencia Norbis deflected the shot shot to give Uruguay a five goal lead in the 49th minute. Bianchi continued to help hold off more attack from Mercedes Coates and Anastasia Olave. With Uruguay unable to convert another penalty corner in the final minutes, Uruguay came away with the five-nill win over Mexico.
In Pool A, the first match was between Italy and the Dominican Republic with the Dominican Republic looking for its first pool win. In the fourth minute, Italy’s Agata Wybieralska scored off the first penalty corner of the match. Macarena Ronsisvalli and Marcela Casale Lhez kept trying to generate attack for Italy in the midfield. A penalty stroke by Italy’s Captain Chiara Tiddi went wide and the Dominican Republic defense continued to largely prevent Italy from entering their attacking circle.
The second period started with Italy trying to work the ball now down their left, rather than right, side. Italy continued to pressure on attack and a number of shots went wide. Martina Lecchini finally put one in for Italy to make the score Italy 2, Dominican Republic nill in the 24th minute. Maria Garraffo kept having possession in the midfield for Italy, but the Dominican Republic’s teamwork made sure she stayed there. Thus, the score at halftime remained Italy 2, Dominican Republic nill.
Early in the third period, Wybieralska scored her second penalty corner goal of the match. Dominican Republic’s keeper Cindy De La Rosa made more big saves in the third to keep Italy from quickly increasing the score. Maria Disanti had a rare opportunity on attack for the Dominican Republic, but it did not last long. In the 38th minute, Giuliana Ruggieri deflected another hard penalty corner shot by Wybieralska to put Italy ahead by four goals over Dominican Republic. After working hard to block a number of penalty corner shots, De La Rosa could not block Ruggieri’s penalty stroke that made it an Italy 5, Dominican Republic nill score at the end of the third period.
To start the fourth period, Benifer Moronta and Lucia Navamuel continued to work hard on defense to prevent Italy from finding open players in their attacking end. Together the Dominican Republic held Italy away from its attacking area for the first half of the fourth period. Manuela Sanchez Guarin also had good defensive positioning that prevented Italy from taking accurate shots. De La Rosa made big saves in the final minutes to keep Garraffo and Lecchini from scoring further. With Italy held scorless in the final quarter, the match ended Italy 5, Dominican Republic Nill.
Trinidad and Tobago faced France on day four of the Hockey World League Round 2 in Montevideo. The match started with heavy France pressure on attack. Trinidad and Tobago Captain Alanna Lewis made some big defensive saves to hold off shots from France’s Captain Apolline Rogeau and Alix Perrocheau. Their work resulted in a penalty corner. France’s Marine Delannoy then tipped the ball over Trinidad and Tobago’s keeper Petal Derry in the 7th minute. France controlled the tempo of the first period and play was mostly in France’s attacking half. Perrocheau kept up her attacking intensity and scored two goals in the opening minutes of the second period to give France a quick three goal lead. More saves by Derry prevented France from scoring further in the second period.
At the start of the third period, Trinidad and Tobago got lucky as two near goals by France were blocked by the goal post. Again, Lewis continued to lead a backfield that worked extremely hard to prevent France from having many shot opportunities inside the circle. A few times Trinidad and Tobago was able to find Brittney Hingh high in their attacking half, but each time France quickly regained possession. With Trinidad and Tobago playing better defense, the score remained Trinidad and Tobago, nill and France 3 at the end of the third period.
Early in the fourth period, Trinidad and Tobago had rare shot on goal, but the shot went wide. The solid defense of Amie Olton and Krizia Layne led to a couple of penalty corner opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago. Blair Wynne was unable to get the corner shots off and France went back on attack. While France continued to have the majority of possession through to the fourth period, Trinidad and Tobago only got more disciplined on defense. With France unable to get many shots off in the fourth period, France came away with the three-nill win thanks to the early goals by Perrocheau and Delannoy, respectively.
In the other Pool B match, Azerbaijan played Kenya. Having arrived late, this was Kenya’s first match of the tournament; and so for most people, it was also their first view of Kenya. Farida Mammadova continued to prove her scoring ability in this tournament as she led Azerbaijan to a two goal lead over Kenya by the end of the first period. Cynthia Oyango, the keeper for Kenya, continued to make big saves. Behind the offensive play of Pauline Naise Amitebi and Lilian Aura, Kenya earned their first penalty corner of the match late in the second period. Teresa Nekesa Juma struggled to get a shot off and Azerbaijan had more possession until the halftime break. In the 28th minute, Lyubov Druzhinina and Anastasiya Tsyganska both took advantage of defensive breakdowns by Kenya to put Azerbaijan ahead by four goals at the end of the second period.
Kenya earned a penalty corner early in the third, but it was Mammadova quickly back on attack to score her third goal of the match in the 34th minute. Kenya had more possession in the third period; and the hard work of Captain Betsy Ommala and Aura led to more penalty corner opportunities. Azerbaijan held tight defensively and the score remained Azerbaijan 5, Kenya nill at the end of the third period. Tsyganska and Druzhinina kept working hard on attack in the fourth period, but Kenya persisted with Ommala’s leadership. Kenya again looked to score off a penalty corner, but again Azerbaijan’s keeper Zlata Potapova was there to make the save. With either team unable to score in the fourth period, the final score remained Azerbaijan 5, Kenya nill.
