Both teams put on good defensive performances early on as the game was scoreless midway through the first quarter. Team USA would eventually open the scoring on a penalty shot converted by Kaleigh Gilchrist and then Seidemann ripped home her first goal as Team USA took a 2-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter. With Johnson shutting down Greece in the cage, Team USA would tack on four more goals with two coming from Rachel Fattal as they extended their advantage over Greece to 6-0.
It was a defensive battle in the third quarter as the teams exchanged goals with Greece eventually getting on the board and Seidemann and Steffens scoring one goal each as Team USA took an 8-1 advantage at the end of the third quarter. Team USA’s offense roared to life in the fourth quarter as they scored six goals and went on to win 14-3.
Team USA went 3/8 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties while Greece was 0/8 on power plays and 0/0 on penalties. At halftime, former USA Men’s National Team and Newport Harbor High School Head Coach Bill Barnett was honored. Barnett passed away in 2018 after a storied career leading Team USA to the 1988 and 1992 Olympics while coaching Newport Harbor for five decades. Barnett’s former athlete and current Olympian Gilchrist for the USA Women’s Water Polo team remembered her coach with a halftime speech.
Scoring
USA 14 (2, 4, 2, 6)
GRE 3 (0, 0, 1, 3)
USA: M. Steffens 3, M. Seidemann 3, R. Fattal 2, K. Gilchrist 2, M. Musselman 1, P. Hauschild 1, K. Neushul 1, A. Fischer 1
GRE: A. Avramidou 1, M. Patra 1, E. Plevritou 1
Saves – USA – A. Johnson 13 – GRE – Stamatopoulou 9
6-on-5 – USA – 3/8 – GRE – 0/8
Penalties – USA 1/2 – GRE – 0/0
Referees – Danielle Dabaghian and Tiffany Spiritosanto
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