[Sportsandrec] FW: USA Women's Goalball Team Finds Gold in Finland

[Christella Garcia]

  _____  

From: United States Association of Blind Athletes [mailto:etap at usaba.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:42 AM
To: Christella Garcia
Subject: USA Women's Goalball Team Finds Gold in Finland


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USA Women's Goalball Team Finds Gold in Finland
 
Coming from behind in a stunning gold-medal match that was decided by a
shootout, the USA Women's National Goalball team emerged as champions of the
2010 Onnela Goalball Tournament held 23-24 January in Onnela, Finland.
 
Team USA opened their tournament play against the host Finnish team.  USA
built an early 5-2 lead behind two goals apiece from Asya Miller
(Birmingham, AL) and Lisa Czechowski (Tucson, AZ).  Although Finland
challenged USA center Nicki Buck (Kalamazoo, MI) and produced a pair of
comeback goals, Team USA held on for a 5-4 victory.  USA's next pool match
was against the current European Champion, Great Britain.   Both teams
scored a goal early and remained in a 1-1 deadlock for most of the first
half.  With four seconds left in the half, Great Britain's Emily Luke
powered in one of her tournament leading scores resulting in a 2-1 Great
Britain lead at the halftime buzzer.   Midway in the second half, USA's
Robin Theryoung (Colorado Springs, CO) converted a penalty shot tying the
score and Czechowski hit the game winner with 57 seconds left in the game:
final score, team USA 3-2 over Great Britain.   In a 4-2 loss to Sweden,
Miller scored on the first throw of the game only to be countered by
Sweden's Malia Gustovasen's first throw.  Sweden went ahead midway through
the half and Miller tied it at 2-2 shortly before halftime.  USA couldn't
penetrate the rock-solid Sweden defense in the second half, while Sweden
converted a penalty shot and Gustovasen added to the scoring tally,
resulting leading to a 4-2 Sweden victory.  The last pool game was against
Greece.  Jordan Walters (Boulder, CO) gave a strong defensive effort
contributing to a 2-0 USA victory.  Jackie Barnes (Wadsorth, IL) scored at
the six minute mark of the first half and Theryoung added a second half
goal.
 
The ladies avenged their only pool play loss to a strong Swedish team with a
thrilling shootout victory.  Trailing the Swedes midway through the second
half of the game Miller scored her third goal of the game, tying the score
at 3-3,  and keeping Team USA's chance alive for a gold medal in overtime
play.  As the game progressed to a shootout, Miller and teammates Czechowski
and Theryoung (Colorado Springs, CO) scored goals while Walters made a key
defensive stop against the number one Swedish scorer Malia Gustovasen,
sealing the victory and the gold medal.
 
After two upcoming training camps, the next competition will be the Lady
Malmo Cup (Malmo, Sweden) where USA are the defending champions.
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