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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – February 7, 2020 – A rain saturated pitch at Cenard in Buenos Aires, Argentina, welcomed the No. 14 U.S. Women’s National Team in the first match of the FIH Hockey Pro League double-header against No. 3 Las Leonas. While there were moments of brilliance for the young USA squad, Argentina’s ability to convert out-powered the red, white and blue 2-6.
USA started the match on the front end working it into their attacking circle but were unable to find an outcome. Argentina opened the scoring in the 3rd minute after Delfina Merino received an overhead and took it into the circle. USA goalkeeper Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.) made the initial stop but Julieta Jankunas capitalized on the loose ball and sent a backhand in for an early 0-1 lead. A minute following, a USA foot lead to Las Leonas’ first penalty corner chance but it was broken up by USA’s flyer. The red, white and blue took possession the other way and produced two opportunities of their own but both were denied by Argentina goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino.
Following a 20-minute delay as the match was halted due to adverse weather conditions, USA came out with a spark producing a few positive looks in the opening minutes but the first quarter remained in favor of Las Leonas, 0-1.
The second frame started with Argentina using their pristine stick skills to work it ahead as a backhand shot from Carla Rebecchi was saved by Robles. Some crowd pleasing noise followed after an Argentina penalty corner attempt was stopped by the brave running of Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.) before Maria Granatto used 3D skills to get into USA’s circle before her high flick went over the goal. USA continued to threaten and in the 22nd minute, a backhand from the top of the circle by Anna Dessoye (Mountaintop, Pa.) was saved by Cosentino and fell to Madison Maguire (Rumson, N.J.) but she was unable to finish before a foul was called. Las Leonas countered immediately extended the lead after Granatto weaved past four USA defenders to get to close range and flick it on goal as Merino was there to tap it in out of the air. One minute later, in the 24th minute, Dessoye pushed it ahead to Maguire who earned USA their first penalty corner. Although the initial drag by Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.) was stopped by Cosentino she converted on reward penalty corner attempt with a low drag to the left to make it 1-2. Argentina held possession for the remainder of the quarter, producing three more penalty corners and two shots.
Argentina continued their offensive pressure in the third and fourth quarters as their penalty corners deemed threatening. Las Leones extended their lead in the 33rd minute off a penalty corner drag flick goal from Agustina Gorzelany and added another in the 37th minute when Silvina d’Elia’s straight shot was deflected into the net by Rosario Luchetti. It took USA until the 49th minute to gather a positive offensive chance after Lauren Moyer (York, Pa.) earned two penalty corners. On the second attempt, the straight drag by Hoffman went off the pads of Cosentino to Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.) who recovered and sent a backhand toward goal, that was touched by Moyer and finished by Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md.). With the score line 2-4, the host nation secured the victory by adding two more in the final three minutes through a field goal from Rocio Sanchez and a penalty corner from Rebecchi.
“I am hoping that we as a team can just grow each game, and continue to build on what we have learned [in the] last game,” commented Hoffman, USWNT Captain, following the game.
Following the game, Argentina’s Jankunas was named Player of the Match for opening the scoring in the 3rd minute of play.
Today’s contest marked career milestones for two USA athletes as Alexandra Hammel (Duxbury, Mass.) and Karlie Heistand (Hamburg, Pa.) all played in their first international cap.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will return to action tomorrow when they take on Argentina in the second game of their double-header weekend at 4 p.m. ET. For more information, check out the FIH Hockey Pro League event page by clicking here.
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