With wins on day 3, Argentina tops pool A and United States tops pool B. Chile and Canada are second in pools A and B, respectively. Macarena Rodriguez from Argentina is honored for her 200th cap. Danielle Hennig was honored for her 100th cap.
On the final day of pool play, rain came down during the morning matches. Despite the rain, many fans still filled the stands including a whole United States cheering section. Both Argentina and the United States finished pool play with zero goals against.
Mexico vs. Canada: 0-4 (ht: 0-3)
On the final day of pool play, rain came down during the morning matches. Despite the rain, many fans still filled the stands including a whole United States cheering section. Both Argentina and the United States finished pool play with zero goals against. After pool play, Noel Barrionuevo (ARG) leads all goal scorers with five goals; and Agustina Albertarrio and Delfina Merino for Argentina each have four goals.
Host Canada played Mexico in the final women’s pool match. Prior to the match, Danielle Hennig was honored for her 100th cap. Canada held most of the possession for the first half of the first quarter. In the 7th minute a high ball save by Mexico’s keeper Jesus Castillo resulted in a penalty corner for Canada, but their shot went wide. Canada continued to pressure on attack, but Mexico started to send multiple players to hassle the Canadian offense. As a result, Mexico was able to get the ball near their attacking circle for a few minutes late in the first quarter. Canada prevented Mexico from getting a shot off. With little time remaining in the first quarter, Canada was not able to complete a counter attacking play before the end of the first quarter. The score remained Mexico 0, Canada 0 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started with Canada immediately earning two penalty corners. Castillo blocked the first drag flick, but the second by Karli Johansen sailed right over Castillo to give Canada the lead over Mexico in the 17th minute. Mireya Bianchi played strong defense for Mexico preventing Canada from capitalizing off some scoring opportunities. By the 22nd minute, Mexico had forced play back into the midfield. Fernanda Oveido then had Mexico’s first attacking opportunities of the quarter, but lost the ball off the endline. Canada regained possession and earned another penalty corner in the 26th minute. Canada’s Thea Culley completed the well-executed play from the left post to make the score Mexico 0, Canada 2. A minute later, Canada earned another penalty corner and the high shot hit the top of the goal cage. Canada collected the rebound, but Castillo saved the next shot. Canada kept forcing penalty corners, but could not get shots past Castillo. In the final minute of the second quarter, however, Canada found a way around Castillo on a penalty corner play with Hannah Haugn waiting on the right post whose penalty corner goal made the score Mexico 0, Canada 3 that remained at halftime.
The third quarter started with Mexico fast on the attack. Mexico’s Michel Navarro had Mexico’s closest shot on goal thus far in the match. Canada’s keeper Kaitlyn Williams blocked Navarro’s shot. Canada regained possession and continued to pressure on attack, but could not capitalize off penalty corners early in the third quarter. For the rest of the third quarter, Mexico and Canada shared more of the possession. With few shots in the third quarter, Canada’s best shot in the quarter was by Haugn in the 43rd minute, but Castillo made an amazing stick save. Thus, the score remained Mexico 0, Canada 3 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started with Canada back pressuring on attack. Canada soon earned more penalty corners, but similar to earlier corners in the match Castillo was efficient at blocking Canada’s direct penalty corner shots. Canada continued to pressure on attack, but Castillo continued to successfully challenge all of Canada’s shots. In the 56th minute, Haughn was able to shoot right past Castillo to make the score Mexico 0, Canada 4. Mexico also did not stop trying to attack had had a shot go high in the 58th minute. With either team able to take another shot, the match ended Mexico 0, Canada 4.
Argentina vs. Dominican Republic: 12-0 (ht: 8-0)
In a pool A match, Argentina and Dominican Republic played. Prior to the match, Argentina’s Macarena Rodriguez was honored for her 200th cap. In the third minute Argentina earned the first penalty corners of the match. Argentina’s Noel Barrionuevo sent in a high drag flick to give her team the early lead. Argentina continued to attack. Dominican Republic’s keeper Cindy De La Rosa blocked a hard shot by Rocio Sanchez to keep Argentina from quickly increasing their lead. With solid defense led by Captain Soledad Del Pino and De La Rosa the Dominican Republic kept Argentina from scoring further a number of minutes. In the 10th minute, the Dominican Republic’s Agustina Birocho had a quick run on attack near their attacking circle, but Argentina quickly regained possession. After an incredible defensive save by the Dominican Republic’s Maria Disanti, Argentina was awarded two penalty corners. After the first penalty corner went wide, Barrionuevo got her second penalty corner of the match in the 12 minute. Agustina Albertarrio gave her team a three goal lead in the 14th minute that remained going into the second quarter.
The second quarter started with Argentina still pressuring on attack. Back-to-back goals by Pilar Romang and Sanchez made the score Argentina 5, Dominican Republic 0 by the 19th minute. Argentina then earned a couple more penalty corners. De La Rosa made a great save with her leg to prevent yet another quick goal by Argentina. Disanti had another good defensive save of an Argentina penalty corner. Despite Dominican Republic’s defensive effort, Rodriguez continued Argentina’s rapid scoring with a goal in the 24th minute. Then Delfina Marino scored off her signature reverse stick shot in the 27th minute. Dominican Republic substituted their keeper De La Rosa for Nayrobi Pichardo. Immediately following the substitution Romang hit a hard shot right from the top of the circle right past Pichardo in the 29th minute to make the score Argentina 8, Dominican Republic 0 that remained at halftime.
The third quarter started with Argentina continuing their fast paced attack. Just one minute into the third quarter, Paula Ortiz put the ball in to make it Argentina 9, Dominican Republic, 0. And then Fantasia Gomes pushed in a penalty corner in the 32nd minute to give her team a ten goal lead. Keeper De La Rosa then came back in for Pichardo and immediately saved a hard shot by Merino. The Dominican Republic did not let up and earned a couple penalty corners in the 39th minute. Argentina’s keeper Maria Mutio saved both shots. Argentina went back on the attack, but the Dominican Republic played strong defense to keep Argentina from scoring further in the third quarter to keep the score Argentina 10, Dominican Republic 0
Sanchez scored her second goal of the match in the 48th minute. Unlike the previous quarters, Argentina did not go on to score multiple goals very quickly. The Dominican Republic continued to well defend their goal cage. It was not until the 59th minute when Argentina was able to score again in the fourth quarter off a shot by Luciana Molina. In the final minute, the Dominican Republic held off another Argentina penalty corner to keep the final result Argentina 12, Dominican Republic 0.
Uruguay vs. Chile: 0-3 (ht: 0-2)
In the other Pool B match, Uruguay and Chile met. The first quarter started with play in Chile’s attacking end. Chile’s Carolina Garcia scored in the 6th minute to give Chile the lead. A minute later, a shot by Filipek was perfectly deflected by Manuela Urroz to increase her team’s lead. Uruguay continued to battle for possession, but could not generate attacking opportunities. Uruguay was able to largely keep Chile from taking more than a few shots.
Chile earned a penalty corner to start the second quarter. Uruguay’s keeper Rosanna Paselle blocked Chile’s penalty corner shot. Similar to the first quarter, Chile had more possession than Uruguay in the second half, but Uruguay kept playing strong defense. Half way through the second quarter, with Uruguay still playing well defensively, Chile continued to pass the ball in the midfield. Eventually, Chile broke through into their attacking circle and earned a penalty corner in the 26th minute. Paselle again saved a Chile penalty corner shot to keep Chile from increasing their lead. Josefa Villalabeitia and Francisca Tala had one of Chile’s best scoring opportunities late in the second quarter, but could not connect. With no more scoring opportunities by either team in the second quarter, the score at halftime was still Uruguay 0, Chile 2.
The third quarter continued as the second quarter ended with Chile controlling possession and Uruguay playing smart defense. As a result, Chile was not able to penetrate their attacking circle much in the third quarter. Uruguay’s only shot on goal was by Janine Stanley in the 42nd minute, but the Chilean defense was there to divert the shot. With Chile also unable to score in the third quarter, the score remained Uruguay 0, Chile 2 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Chile pressured even harder on attack. Chile earned a penalty corner in the 49th minute and Camila Caram capitalized. After Chile was not able to convert two more penalty corners, Uruguay came back fired up on attack. Uruguay was able to get down in their attacking end for their best chances to score in the quarter and had possession for a number of minutes at the end of the fourth quarter, but Chile’s defense prevented Uruguay from getting a shot off. Thus, the match ended Uruguay 0, Chile 3.
United States vs. Cuba: 12-0 (ht: 6-0)
To start the last day of pool play, the United States and Cuba played. The United States got on the scoreboard early in the second minute after Paige Selenski crossed the ball across the goal cage to Katie O’Donnell who was waiting on the opposite post. The United States maintained the attacking pressure. Cuba played strong team defense to prevent the United States from having more scoring opportunities until the 12th minute when the United States earned a penalty corner. Cuba’s keeper Heidy Gonzalez blocked the penalty corner shot by United States’ Lauren Crandall. In the final minute of the first quarter, Selenski looked again to cross the ball to teammates near the goal post, but Selenski’s initial pass went into the goal to make the score United States 2, Cuba 0.
The second quarter started with the United States coming out with high attacking energy. Melissa Gonzalez dribbled around the penalty spot and shot a rocket past keeper Gonzalez to put her team ahead by three goals in the 17th minute. Play continued in the United States attacking end. Rachel Dawson converted the United States’ second penalty corner of the match in the 21st minute to make the score United States 4, Cuba 0. By the 27th minute, the score had increased to United States 6, Cuba 0 off back-to-back goals by O’Donnell and Jill Witmer, respectively. At the end of the second quarter, the score remained United States 6, Cuba 0.
The third quarter started with the United States back on attack and immediately with a penalty corner. This time keeper Gonzalez was ready for Dawson’s penalty corner shot. Cuba’s Sunaylis Nikle and Brirzaida Ramos played tight defense near their defensive goal, but the United States took advantage by moving the ball to the top of their circle where Michelle Vitesse was waiting. Vitesse blasted a hard shot into goal to put her team ahead by seven goals. A minute later, Katie Reinprecht completed a perfectly executed penalty corner play to make the score United States 8, Cuba 0 in the 36th minute. Cuba did not let up however and prevented the United States from scoring further in the third quarter.
Like the third quarter, the fourth quarter also stated with a penalty corner goal this time by Katelyn Falgowski. With back-to-back goals by Michelle Kasold and Melissa Gonzalez the United States had increased their lead by 11 goals within the first three minutes if the fourth quarter. Nikle continued to play strong one-on-one defense, but eventually the United States earned another corner. After keeper Gonzalez blocked the initial shot, Witmer collected the ball for her second goal of the match in the 54th minute to make the score United States 12, Cuba 0. In the 57th minute, Cuba had a rare opportunity on attack as Captain Mileysi Argentel ran down near Cuba’s attacking circle. While the United States recovered the ball before Argentel could get a shot off, Cuba kept the United States from also taking a shot in the final minute. Thus, the final score was United States 12, Cuba 0.
The competition continues with the crossover round on 20 July. Please check back here for score updates, pictures, video interviews, and more throughout the competition.
