US Beats Germany to Advance to Semifinals

July 12, 2001
High Wycombe, England
The USA’s Jess Wilk, captain of the USA women’s lacrosse team, started in the cage and shut out the German side in the first half, and then scored a goal in the second half to punctuate the Americans’ win today in the quarterfinals of the IFWLA World Cup with an 18-0 victory over the Germans. With the win, the Stars and Stripes advances to the medal round to face the Canadian side in the first semifinal on July 12 at 3:30 pm GMT (10:30 am EST).

Leading scorer for the Americans was Michele Uhlfelder with three goals and four assists, while Kara Ariza led the way for the Americans with six ground balls and Quinn Carney had four draw controls. The win was the 11th consecutive win in World Cup play for the Americans, which sets a new record.

The Germans won the opening draw but Cherie Greer stipped the ball in the midfield and the Americans set their offense. Kelly Amonte’s shot was saved, but on the clear the German side through the ball away and Randall Flynn pounced on the ground ball. On the offensive set, Erin Brown’s shot was saved but she snagged her own ground ball and fed Amonte for a quick stick goal on the crease to put the Americans up 1-0 just 1:10 into the game.

Christie Jenkins won the next draw but an American turnover gave the ball to the Germans. When the German clear went astray, Brown chased down the ground ball and the Americans went on a mini fast-break. Jenkins’ shot was saved and she got her own ground ball. Flynn’s subsequent shot went wide and Jenkins picked up the ball behind the net. Uhlfelder notched the first of her four assists as she found a wide-open Carney in the middle of the arc, putting the USA up 2-0 3:44 into the game.

Greer won the ensuing draw for the Americans and Amonte got off a shot that was saved. Crista Samaras picked up the ground ball and the USA got the ball to Jenkins, whose shot went wide. Uhlfelder got the ground ball and again the Americans got the ball to Jenkins. Her shot was saved and the Germans attempted a clear.

Uhlfelder intercepted the clearing pass and threw the ball to Jenkins, whose shot was saved. The Germans got the ball down to their offensive end where Carney knocked the ball loose and Bonnie Rosen picked it up and the Americans went on the offensive. A shot by Flynn went wide and Uhlfelder scooped up the ground ball. The Americans worked the ball up to the right wing where Ariza drove to the cage and drew a shooting space foul on the Germans. She ran the ball in and scored on the free position, putting the Eagles up 3-0 less than eight minutes into the match.

The Germans won the ensuing draw control and brought the ball down to run their offense. But Wilk knocked down an opposite post feed and started an American clear. Germany broke the clear with a missed catch for the Americans, but an errant throw gave the ball right back to the USA as Rosen picked up the loose ball. This time the Stars and Stripes was able to convert as Jenkins fed Uhlfelder on the crease for a quick stuick goal 9:48 in to the match.

Again the Germans won the draw control and took it upfield to run their offense. Their shot went wide, but they were able to get the ground ball and reset. But an opposite post feed was snagged in the air by Wilk, and the Americans looked to clear. A throw outside the playing area gave the ball back to the Germans in their defensive end, but Sommar stripped the ball from her opponent and restarted the American offense. Samaras found Uhlfelder alone in the middle of the arc, and Uhlfelder bounced the pass into the back of the net for her second consecutive goal and a 5-0 lead for the Americans 12:09 into the contest.

The Germans won the draw control yet again, but an errant pass that was chased down by Brown gave the ball back to the American side. Danielle Gallagher cut to the crease where Uhlfelder fed her the ball from the wing and Gallagher scored, putting the USA up 6-0.

Sommar won the draw and brought the ball right down to the right side of the arc where she fed Gallagher who was streaking in from the top. Gallagher stepped, hopped, and shot and scored going away from the cage, putting her back on the board just 13 seconds later and putting the USA up 7-0. Sommar won her second consecutive draw but an American turnover in the arc gave possession to the Germans. On the clear the USA regained control when Ariza chased down the loose ball. On the American attack, Jenkins’ shot was saved and the Germans looked to advance the ball. But Greer knocked the ball loose at midfield and Sommar pounced on it, helping the Americans reset their offense. In the set, Amonte found Carney alone in the middle of the arc and Carney converted the pass, giving the Americans an 8-0 lead with 12:23 to play in the half.

Sarah Nelson won the ensuing draw and the USA worked their offense around until Gallagher drove to the cage, eluded her defender, and shot while falling down. The ball fell to the back of the net, giving the USA a 9-0 lead with just over 10 minutes to play.

Ariza won the next draw for the United States and Amonte got off a shot that was saved. Jenkins picked up the loose ball and the Americans worked the ball to Amonte behind the cage. She fed Nelson on the crease for a quick stick goal and the USA moved into double-digit scoring with 7:39 to play. Ariza won the draw again for the Stars and Stripes and a quick shot by Flynn was saved. The clear was errant and Nelson picked up the loose ball, starting a fast break the other way. Amonte’s shot was saved and the Germans brought the ball upfield to set their offense. Rosen caused a turnover on the goal line and Ariza picked up the ground ball, starting a fast break for the A mericans. The USA converted it as Uhlfelder fed Brown on the crease, putting the USA up 11-0 with 4:49 to play.

Sommar won the draw again for the Americans, but they lost the ball and the Germans tried to move the ball upfield. A Greer caused turnover and the subsequent ground ball by Gallagher gave the ball back to the American side, and Flynn’s shot was saved but Samaras controlled the loose ball. Flynn scored on her next shot, a quick stick conversion from Samaras with just under two minutes to play. Rosen won the next draw and the USA held for the remainder of the period. going into break leading 12-0.

Uhlfleder won the opening draw of the second half but an American turnover gave the ball over to the Germans. The German side turned the ball right back over as Amonte knocked the ball loose and Gallagher picked up the loose ball. A Samaras shot was saved and the Germans took the ball up to their offensive arc. Rosen stripped the ball from the Germans and the Americans worked back up for a shot. Uhfelder’s attempt went wide and Flynn coralled the loose ball. Amonte then tried a pair of shots, with the first one being saved and Gallagher controlling for the USA, and the second being picked up by Brown after sailing wide.

The Germans took the ball away from the Americans but lost the ball when Brown knocked down a pass. Amonte tried another shot that was saved, and the Germans worked the ball down to their offensive arc. A shot from the middle of the arc was saved by Sue Heether, the first save of the day for the Americans. The Americans attempted a clear but the Germans took the ball away and tried to reset their offense. Sommar took the ball back and the USA set their offense.

A shot by Amonte went wide and Gallagher controlled for the Americans. Jenkins got the ball and fed Amonte as she was cutting to the crease. Amonte’s shot went in and the Americans were on the board in the second half, improving to 13-0 with just under nine minutes to play in the game. Germany won the ensuing draw but Jojo Connelly stripped the ball and Heether picked it up. On the attack, Carney shot the ball but her attempt hit the pipe and Samaras corralled the ground ball. As the Americans reset their offense, Brown found Nelson on the crease and Nelson converted the quickstick with a shot that caromed off the pipe into the back of the net for a 14-0 lead for the USA with 7:39 to play.

Carney won the draw but the Americans lost the ball while setting up. Brown checked the ball loose for the Stars and Stripes and Ariza picked it up to start the American attack. A Carney shot hit the side of the net and the Germans tried to bring it back downfield but a missed catch and a ground ball by Gallagher gave the USA control. Carney brought the ball down the left wing and scored, giving the Americans a 15-0 lead. She also won the next draw and Uhfelder brought the ball behind the cage where she found Greer on the crease. Greer’s goal less than a minute after Carney’s gave the USA a 16-0 lead.

Carney also won the next draw but the Germans stripped the ball away and tried to bring it back to their offensive end, but a bad throw allowed Ariza to pounce on the loose ball. Uhlfelder’s shot went into the net and the Germans attempted to move the ball downfield again. Gallagher controlled a loose ball on the clear and the Americans again worked their offense. Flynn’s shot went wide and Ariza got the ground ball, and the USA got the ball back in the crosse of Gallagher. Uhlfelder cut from the top of the 15 to the crease and Gallagher fed her on the cut. Uhlfelder scored with just under two minutes remaining to stake the Eagles to a 17-0 lead.

Flynn won the ensuing draw and got the ball to Brown in the offensive arc. Brown passed it off to Carney and drove through the fan. Wilk followed her and Carney fed her the ball on the crease. Wilk stepped and flipped the ball backhanded into the net, scoring her first goal for the USA in World Cup competition and putting the USA up 18-0 22 seconds after Uhlfelder’s tally. Carney won the next draw and the Americans lost possession briefly before Ariza stripped the ball away and the USA held on for the win over the Germans, advancing them to medal round and a game against the Canadians on July 12 at 3:30 pm GMT. (10:30 am EST).

Linescore
GER 0-0=0
USA 12-6=18

Scoring summary:
28:50 USA Amonte (Brown) 1-0
26:16 USA Carney (Uhlfelder) 2-0
22:06 USA Ariza (FP) 3-0
20:12 USA Uhlfelder (Jenkins) 4-0
17:51 USA Uhlfelder (Samaras) 5-0
15:24 USA Gallagher (Uhlfelder) 6-0
15:11 USA Gallagher (Sommar) 7-0
12:23 USA Carney (Amonte) 8-0
10:28 USA Gallagher 9-0
7:39 USA Nelson (Amonte) 10-0
4:49 USA Brown (Uhlfelder) 11-0
1:51 USA Flynn (Samaras) 12-0
9:54 USA Amonte (Jenkins) 13-0
7:39 USA Nelson (Brown) 14-0
5:45 USA Carney 15-0
4:49 USA Greer (Uhlfelder) 16-0
1:56 USA Uhlfelder (Gallagher) 17-0
1:34 USA Wilk (Carney)

Scoring:
Goals: USA: Uhlfelder 3, Gallagher 3, Carney 3, Amonte 2, Nelson 2, Brown,
Flynn, Greer, Ariza, Wilk

Assists: USA: Uhlfelder 4, Amonte 2, Samaras 2, Brown 2, Jenkins 2,
Gallagher, Carney, Sommar

Goalies: USA: Wilk (30 mins (in cage), 0 saves, 0 GA)
Heether (30 mins, 1 save, 0 GA)
Germany: (30 mins, 9 saves, 12 GA)/ (30 mins, 3 saves, 6 GA)

Ground balls: USA 36, GER 16
Caused turnovers: USA 17, GER 3
Turnovers: USA 12, GER 25
Shots: USA 42, GER 2
Draws: USA 15, GER 5
Fouls: USA 2, GER 2
Free position attempts: USA 1, GER 0
Free position shots: USA 1, GER 0