WATER POLO: USA Women's Senior National Team Falls To Canada 10-8 in Last Of Three Exhibition Games

USA WOMEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM FALLS TO CANADA 10-8 IN FINAL EXHIBITION GAME AT COMMERCE AQUATICS CENTER The USA Women's Senior National Team lost to Canada 10-8 in the final of three exhibition games at the Commerce Aquatics Center. The game capped off several days of common training between the two teams that saw them compete in Commerce as well as Huntington Beach and Oxnard, California. After taking the first two games this contest against Canada saw a pretty even contest throughout as the game was tied at two after the first period and Canada held just a one goal lead at 5-4 at the halftime. Goals from Lauren Wenger and Elsie Windes kept USA tied in the first period. They would fall down by two in the second quarter before another goal by Wenger and a tally by Brittany Hayes tied the game four. In the third quarter the game see sawed back and forth as USA was never able to do more than tie the score. With that Canada kept up their attack and pulled into the fourth quarter in front 8-7. In the fourth USA would stage a rally to draw within one at 9-8 on a goal by Alison Gregorka. It would get no closer however as Krystina Alogbo tallied a score with under four minutes left that proved to be the difference. Jamie Hipp went the distance in net halting nine shots on the contest. The game also happened to be held on USA Head Coach Guy Baker's birthday. Unofficially Team USA moves to 0-2 on games played on Baker's birthday. Team USA will not take part in competition again until a mid-March visit to China for a test event. Flash Quotes: "We made some decisions following last nights game and what I liked is that they followed the game plan. Team USA has an outstanding press defense and we addressed with our team that they would face the press." Patrick Oaten -- Head Coach, Canada "We have to thank the USA, they hosted a great week of training and any opportunity you get to train with the USA is a great thing." Patrick Oaten -- Head Coach, Canada "I don't think we did a good job defensively from the beginning, we were in alot of different defenses throughout. We were getting a nice counter attack (in this game) and the counter has been the weakest. I am happy with the work we are doing there but give Canada credit they outplayed us tonight. We have a long long ways to go and we are headed for some consistent training in a long period of time." -- Guy Baker -- Head Coach, USA Goals: USA: 8 -- B. Hayes 3, L. Wenger 2, E. Windes 1, A. Gregorka 1, E. Figge 1 Canada: 10 -- Alogbo 4, Csikos 2, Bekhazi 1, Monton 1, Perreault 1, Robinson 1 Saves: USA -- J. Hipp 9 -- CAN -- Riddell 3