Team USA Edged By Hungary In Overtime 10-8 In Bronze Medal Game At 2007 FINA Junior Women's World Championship

Huntington Beach, CA --
Team USA held a lead after the first period and at halftime but were unable to hang on after that. Jessica Steffens and Kameryn Craig led the offensive attack with three goals each, while Lauren Silver added a pair of her own. Amber Oland was tremendous in net discarding 17 Hungarian shots. Team USA went just 5/13 on man up advantages while Hungary was not much better going 5/15.

Australia took the overall gold medal at the tournament.

July 28, 2007

Team USA Falls To China 8-7 In Semifinals of 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships, Headed For Bronze Medal Game On Sunday

Huntington Beach, CA -- The USA Women's Junior National Team missed out on a chance at the Gold Medal at the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships as a result of an 8-7 loss to China earlier today. The loss sets up a rematch against Hungary for the Bronze Medal on Sunday. Team USA fell to Hungary 11-10 earlier in the tournament in pool play.

"We have our sights set on the rematch with Hungary in the Bronze Medal game, the team is looking to finishing the World Championships on a high note," said head coach Kyle Utsumi following the contest.

Goal scorers for the United States included Lauren Silver with a team high four along with Kameryn Craig adding two, and Tanya Gandy tacking on a score as well. Team USA went two out of six on man up advantages while China went three out of nine.

July 27, 2007

Comeback Effort Spurs Team USA To Victory Over Italy 11-10 at 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships

Huntington Beach, CA -- The USA Women's Junior National Team battled back from a three goal first period deficit to defeat Italy 11-10 at the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships. A goal by Kamryn Craig from the center spot with just over a minute to play proved to be the game winner. The win moves Team USA into the semi-final round on Saturday where they will take on China with a chance to reach the title game.

"Our team responded well to the early deficit and concentrated on winning each quarter after the first. Our five on six was strong in critical situations. We're looking forward to a great game against the Chinese tomorrow," said head coach Kyle Utsumi.

It was a slow start for the Americans in the first as Italy jumped out in front with four goals to lead 4-1 after one. Only a score from Lauren Silver kept Team USA from a donut on the scoreboard in the first. However, it was a reversal of fortune in the second quarter as it was Team USA holding Italy to just one goal while adding three of their own. Kameryn Craig, Jessica Steffens, and Darby Anderson all lit the proverbial lamp and at the half Team USA trailed by just one at 5-4. Things could have potentially been much worse as five USA players were excluded in that period but Italy failed to take full advantage.

In the third, Team USA again turned to Craig as she connected for two goals and this was joined by two scores off the hand of Tanya Gandy. The squad benefited off of five Italian exclusions to bolster their offensive attack. Combined with the Italians just scoring three goals the game was tied up at eight as played moved to the decisive fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter saw Team USA complete the comeback as they outscored Italy 3-2 and was able to pull out the hard fought victory. Craig tacked on her fourth goal of the day while Anderson, and Forel Davies also chipped in with scores. Amber Oland went the whole way in net denying eight shots.

Goals By Quarters

1st Quarter

USA - 1 (Lauren Silver)
Italy - 2 (Annalisa Bosello, Serena Gallone, Arianna Garibotti (2))

2nd Quarter

USA - 3 (Kameryn Craig, Jessica Steffens, Darby Anderson)
Italy - 1 (Federica Radicchi)

3rd Quarter

USA - 4 (Kameryn Craig (2), Tanya Gandy (2))
Italy - 3 (Giulia Emmolo, Silvia Motta, Naike Mendozza)

4th Quarter

USA - 3 (Kameryn Craig, Darby Anderson, Forel Davies)
Italy - 2 (Giulia Bartolini, Arianna Garibotti)

Saves

Amber Oland - 8

July 26, 2007

Team USA Takes Out Japan 17-7 at 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships

Huntington Beach, CA -- The USA Women's Junior National Team made it back to back victories as they handled Japan 17-7 to advance in the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships. The win for Team USA sets up a Friday tilt with Italy who is undefeated thus far in the tourney.

It was a nailbiter early on as the teams were all square at two goals each after the first quarter. Kameryn Craig and Jessica Steffens provided the tallies for Team USA. The end of the first quarter also proved to be the end of the Japanese in this game as the USA offense came alive. Craig found the back of the net twice in the second quarter and those scores were joined by goals from the likes of Lauren Silver and Tanya Gandy. At the half Team USA was leading by a score of 6-3.

The third quarter saw the red, white, and blue really open things up as they outscored their opposition six goals to three and built a lead of 12-6. The offense spread it around in this quarter as six different players found the net including Craig, Gandy, Stephanie Schnugg, Grace Reynolds, Forel Davies, and Melissa Wheeler.

In the fourth the game was put away with Team USA outscoring Japan 5-1 to end on a 17-7 victory. Gandy and Reynolds each scored twice, and Darby Anderson also beat the goaltender giving the squad nine different goal scorers on the game. Kameryn Craig led the attack with four goals to her credit. In goal Amber Oland and Jilian Stapf again split time with Oland recording four saves and Stapf one.

Team USA was also a perfect five out of five on man up scenarios including cashing in on a five meter penalty while Japan was six out of eight on their power plays. Next up for the group will be a matchup against Italy on Friday, which Coach Kyle Utsumi knows the group is ready for. "The team is focused on the quarterfinal against Italy. Our attack has been strong and tonight we had lots of players contributing offensively but we need to tighten up our defense, especially in man down situations," Utsumi said.

Goals By Quarters

1st Quarter

USA - 2 (Kameryn Craig, Jessica Steffens)
Japan - 2 (Magariyama Shino, Fujino Manami)

2nd Quarter

USA - 4 (Kameryn Craig (2), Lauren Silver, Tanya Gandy)
Japan - 1 (Yasumoto Chie)

3rd Quarter

USA - 6 (Kameryn Craig, Forel Davies, Stephanie Schnugg, Tanya Gandy, Grace Reynolds, Melissa Wheeler)
Japan - 3 (Magariyama Shino, Konaka Misa (2))

4th Quarter

USA - 5 (Darby Anderson, Tanya Gandy (2), Grace Reynolds (2))
Japan - 1 (Konaka Misa)

Saves: Amber Oland - 4, Jillian Stapf - 1

July 25, 2007

Team USA Bounces Back With 15-6 Defeat of Germany

Huntington Beach, CA -- The USA Women's Junior National Team wasted no time returning to the winning column as they ran through Germany 15-6 in their third game at the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championship improving to 2-1 with the conclusion of pool play. The squad will take on Japan tomorrow at 4:30pm. If they are victorious in that game they will move on to tangle with Italy in the quarterfinals.

The red, white, and blue owned every quarter opening things up with a 4-1 advantage after the first period of play. In that stanza Forel Davies, Lauren Silver, Tanya Gandy, and Grace Reynolds all scored goals to help build the American lead. In the second quarter Germany came to life tallying two scores of their own but Team USA responded with three more scores as Silver, Gandy, and Darby Anderson all lit the proverbial lamp to build a 7-3 advantage at the half

In the third Team USA pulled away outscoring the Germans 5-2 behind two goals from Davies and a score apiece from Silver, Anderson, and Kameryn Craig. The fourth saw more of the same with a trio of USA goals coming off the hands of Craig, Anderson, and Silver.

It was a well balanced attack for Team USA that featured five girls scoring at least two goals with Silver leading the pack at four tallies. In goal for Team USA was the duo of Amber Oland and Jillian Stapf. Oland recorded eight saves while Stapf racked up three. The United States went four out of six on man up scenarios while Germany was just four out of thirteen. The group returns to the Piscina Municipal de Campanha tomorrow to take on Japan at 4:30pm..

Goals By Quarters

1st Quarter

USA - 4 (Forel Davies, Lauren Silver, Tanya Gandy, Grace Reynolds)
Germany - 1 (Claudia Kern)

2nd Quarter

USA - 3 (Darby Anderson, Lauren Silver, Tanya Gandy)
Germany - 2 (Anja Seyfert, Jasmin Krieter)

3rd Quarter

USA - 5 (Kameryn Craig, Darby Anderson, Forel Davies (2), Lauren Silver
Germany - 2 (Jasmin Krieter, Mariam Salloum)

4th Quarter

USA - 3 (Kameryn Craig, Darby Anderson, Lauren Silver)
Germany - 1 (Caroline Seifert)

Saves: Amber Oland - 8, Jillian Stapf - 3

July 24, 2007

Hungary Nips Team USA 11-10 In Second Game of 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships

Huntington Beach, CA -- After a convincing 18-1 victory in their first game of the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships it was a different story on day two for the Team USA Junior Women's National Team as they fell to Hungary in a heartbreaker 11-10

The first quarter of play was all even as the squads were tied at four headed to the second period. Team USA received their goals via a hat trick from Tanya Gandy and a single score put home by Lauren Silver. The second stanza would see Team USA build a halftime lead as they outscored the Hungarians 3-2. Silver again answered the call finding the back of the net while Kameryn Craig tacked on two scores of her own.

Emerging from the intermission holding an 7-6 lead the third quarter produced another even showing as both teams notched two scores apiece leaving the game at a one goal advantage for Team USA 9-8 as played moved to the fouth. In the third all the scoring came from Silver as she tallied four goals on the day.

The fourth quarter is where Hungary was able to do damage when they outscored Team USA 3-1 including two tallies late en route to the one goal victory. In that quarter the lone American goal came from Gandy who like Silver ended her day with four scores.

Amber Oland played the whole way in net denying seven Hungarian shots and Team USA went four out of nine on man up scenarios while Hungary cashed in on six out of ten in their opportunities.

"We played well in many aspects of the game, but mental errors late were costly. The team is ready to bounce back tomorrow against Germany and then we'll know what our path through the rest of the tournament looks like," commented head coach Kyle Utsumi.

Next up on the docket for Team USA will be that aforementioned Wednesday matchup with Germany as they finish up group play. At 1-1 the team is now in second place behind Hungary who currently has a perfect 2-0 record.

July 23, 2007

Team USA Hammers Portugal 18-1 In Opening Game of 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships

Huntington Beach, CA -- The USA Women's Junior National Team got off on the right foot in the opening game of the FINA Women's Junior World Championships as they hammered host country Portugal 18-1. Team USA now prepares to take on Hungary on Tuesday.

This one was never in doubt as Team USA pitched a shutout through the first three periods building a 5-0 lead after the first quarter on two scores apiece from Tanya Gandy and Grace Reynolds as well as a tally by Kami Craig.

The second quarter was more of the same as Gandy netted two more scores, Reynolds tallied another and Darby Anderson and Lauren Silver cashed in as well to push the USA lead to 10-0 at intermission. Coach Kyle Utsumi's club did not take their foot off the gas to start the second half as they tossed in four more scores by the likes of Gandy, Silver, Jessica Steffens, and Phoebe Champion.

Portgual got on the board in the fourth but that was countered by another quartet of red, white, and blue goals as Craig, Steffens, and Gandy all scored again while Forel Davies joined the goal parade to bring a final score of 18-1 in favor of Team USA.

In goal Amber Oland played the first half while Jillian Stapf took the reigns for the second half.

July 22, 2007

USA Women's Junior National Team Ready To Begin Play In FINA Women's Junior World Championships

Huntington Beach, CA -- Already settled in to their new surroundings in Porto, Portugal the USA Women's Junior National team is prepared to take part in the 2007 FINA Women's Junior World Championships which will run from July 23 through July 29.

Head coach Kyle Utsumi and his roster will have their hands full with a slate of games against the world's best. The competition will begin in earnest on July 23rd when the squad tangles with host country Portugal in the nightcap of the first day of action. Following that they will do battle with Hungary on July 24 and then round out the first three days with a match against Germany on July 25.

Following that the tournaments breaks into seeding depending on the results of the first three days of action.

"We are excited to get the tournament started by playing the host team. Our players have trained hard and are eager to start the competition," Coach Utsumi said on the eve of the games beginning.

For more information visit www.usawaterpolo.org or the official site of the event at www.porto2007.net .

Roster

Coaches:

Head Coach: Kyle Utsumi
Assistant Coach: Kim Everist
Director: Alan Cima