WATER POLO: Women's Senior National Team Defeats Canada 10-8 In First Of Three Exhibition Games

In their first action since returning from Australia the USA Women's Senior National Team defeated Canada 10-8 on a chilly evening at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA. A back and forth contest was put to bed when Elsie Windes found the net on a man up advantage with just 1:01 to play giving USA a two goal cushion. The Canadians who will take on USA two more times during this period of common training got the jump on the home team leading after the first quarter 2-1. The second period saw a shift in momentum as USA tied the game at two and then at three before going up 5-3 as Moriah van Norman scored with time winding down in the half. That would leave USA with a two goal advantage starting the third quarter. Canada would get a tally from Marina Radu to draw within one at 5-4 but USA then ran off three straight goals capped by an Alison Gregorka score leaving the hosts in control at 8-4. In the fourth Canada would draw to within one at 9-8 on a Krystina Alogbo goal with 1:39 remaining. That would be all for Canada as time would run out on their rally. Brittany Hayes carried the early offense for the USA with three goals while Gregorka and Windes added three of their own. Betsey Armstrong and Jamie Hipp combined in net for eight saves. Team USA was without several key players out nursing injuries. This group included Ericka Lorenz, Natalie Golda, Heather Petri, and Patty Cardenas. This is the first time the two teams have gotten together since the Holiday Cup held in early December in Long Beach, CA. The two teams will get together again on Saturday January 26 at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, CA at 5:00pm. They will then meet the next day on Sunday, January 27 at the Commerce Aquatics Center at 4:00pm. Flash Quotes: "We had alot of people out going with just nine field players so I was real happy. The last couple of games in Sydney we got used to this but we got going more in this game and we are playing better polo. At times it looked like how we normally play." Guy Baker -- USA Head Coach "We improved from last month at the Holiday Cup. We did a few different things on defense and saw which were good and where we have to work. I'm happy with the performance and the improvement." Patrick Oaten -- Canada Head Coach Goals: USA 10 -- B. Hayes 3, A. Gregorka 3, E. Windes 3, B. Villa 1 Canada 8 -- Alogbo 3, Csikos 2, Radu 2, Tomiuk 1 Saves -- USA -- B. Armstrong 5, J. Hipp 3 -- CAN - Riddell 7