Team USA Takes 1st in Group Play in FINA Women’s Water Polo World Cup

Aug 7, 2012; London, United Kingdom; USA center back Maggie Steffens (6) with the ball in the second quarter against Australia in the women's semifinal in the London 2012 Olympic Games at Water Polo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

KHANTY-MANSIYSK, Russia, August 14. THE USA Women’s National picked up their third straight victory and took first place in their group at the FINA World Cup with a 15-10 win over Hungary. Maggie Steffens (Danville, CA/Stanford/Diablo) and Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA/USC/SBWPF) scored three goals each in the win while Sami Hill (Santa Barbara, CA/UCLA/SBWPF) posted 11 saves in net. Team USA now advances to the quarterfinals where they will take on Singapore on Friday at 5am pt. A live webcast is scheduled to be offered through FINA TV and can be accessed by clicking here. For complete tournament results, visit the official FINA website by clicking here.

Team USA got off to a strong start taking a 4-2 lead after the first period and a 7-3 lead at the intermission. The high scoring continued in the second half with the United States outscoring Hungary 5-4 in the third period to build a 12-7 lead. The two teams were even in the fourth period scoring three goals each and Team USA was able to come away with a 15-10 victory.

The United States went 7/11 on power plays and 1/1 on penalties while Hungary was 3/6 on power plays and 2/2 on penalties. “It was a physical game but our team maintained their composure. Our success on extra player opportunities was a key component towards the win,” said USA Head Coach Adam Krikorian.

Scoring
USA 15 (4, 3, 5, 3) M. Steffens 3, K. Craig 3, R. Fattal 2, K. Neushul 2, M. Sediemann 1, C. Mathewson 1, K. Gilchrist 1
HUN 10 (2, 1, 4, 3)
Saves – USA – S. Hill 11
6×5 – USA – 7/11 – HUN 3/6
Penalties – USA – 1/1 – HUN – 2/2

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com.

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