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USA Field Hockey Women Defeat New Zealand at Champions Challenge
By Howard Thomas // U.S. Field Hockey Association // June 15, 2007
BAKU, Azerbaijan – April Fronzoni tipped in the game-winning goal off a penalty corner on the game's final play as the USA Field Hockey women's national team defeated New Zealand, 1-0 at the Champions Challenge.
The goal was the second game-deciding score in two games fro Fronzoni who scored a late goal in the final minutes of Tuesday's match against England to force a 2-2 draw.
With the game scoreless in the final seconds, New Zealand misplayed an attempt to clear the ball deep in its own half, and the USA earned the penalty corner opportunity as time expired. Rachel Dawson's initial blast was tipped by a diving Fronzoni and dribbled into the goal to vie the USA the win.
The win keeps alive the USA's hopes for an appearance in the tournament's championship match and clinches the team's best-ever finish at the Champions Challenge. The USA can finish no worse than fourth at the tournament after placing fifth in each of three previous Champion Challenge appearances.
China (3-1-0, 9 pts) sits atop the tournament standings by virtue of a better goal differential (+10) over second place Korea (3-1-0, 9 pts). The USA currently sits in third place at 2-1-1 (7 pts.)
After a quick start by New Zealand, the USA settled in and controlled much of the first half. But the USA could not convert on four first-half penalty corner opportunities and went into halftime tied at 0-0.
New Zealand again started strong in the second half and forced a pair of penalty corners that were saved by U.S. goalkeeper Amy Tran to keep the game scoreless and set up Fronzoni's last-second heroics.
The USA concludes round-robin play on Saturday against host Azerbaijan before advancing to the classification games on Sunday.
The tournament marks the USA's final international competition prior to the Pan American Games, July 15-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The winner of the Pan Am Games earns the continent's automatic berth in the 2008 Olympic Games.
USA 1, New Zealand 0
USA: April Fronzoni (PC, 70:00+)
USA Starters: Melissa Leonetti, Rachel Dawson, Sarah Dawson, Tiffany Snow, Sara Silvetti, April Fronzoni, Dana Sensenig, Katelyn Falgowski, Amy Tran (GK), Lauren Crandall, Lauren Powley
Reserves: Laura Suchoski, Caroline Nichols, Michelle Kasold, Claire Laubach
DNP: Jill Dedman (GK), Dina Rizzo, Vianney Campos
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