Dominant Performance Gives USWNT Opening Win at Pan American Games

SANTIAGO, Chile – The No. 16 U.S. Women’s National Team put up a dominant scoring performance against No. 47 Trinidad and Tobago in their first game of the Pan American Games Santiago 2023. Powered by hat tricks from both Sanne Caarls (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands) and Abigail Tamer (Dexter, Mich.), USA had nine different goal scorers on their way to a commanding 15-0 win.

“It’s always good to start the tournament with a win and we played some structured hockey at times combined with some good finishes and clinical corners,” said David Passmore, USWNT Head Coach.

From the opening whistle USA held majority of the control. Just 2 minutes in quick passing led to Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.) opening the scoring on a backhand from the top of the circle. The United Eagles earned their first penalty corner in the 8th minute but the chance by Beth Yeager (Greenwich, Conn.) was denied by Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Petal Derry. USA added a goal in the 11th minute when Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.) sent a long ball to Gonzales who worked with Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.) on the left baseline. Grega finished with a lift into the net to make it 2-0.

Leading after the first quarter, USA produced six more goals in a 7-minute span in the second. The first came in the 22nd minute when Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.) converted off a penalty corner. Three minutes later, textbook passing by Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.) to Grega was finished by Gonzales. In the 27th minute, Alexandra Hammel’s(Duxbury, Mass.) initial shot on a penalty corner was blocked but Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.) sent a hard sweep into the goal. USA added two more in the 28th minute – the first another Hoffman set piece and the second quick passing that led to Caarls lifting it into the net. Caarls tallied less than a minute later as the United Eagles went into the halftime break leading 8-0.

After the first half, USA held the advantage in shots, circle penetrations and penalty corners, and that didn’t let up in the remaining quarters. In the 41st minute, Hoffman’s drag hit off the post, but Tamer was on the rebound and sent a backhand into the corner. With 11 seconds remaining in the frame, the red, white and blue earned a penalty corner and Yeager was successful in making it 10-0.

Two minutes into the final quarter, Tamer notched her second and she tallied her hat trick shorty after when Ashley Sessa (Schwenksville, Pa.) picked off an overhead attempt and set her up for an easy tap in to make it 12-0. The final three goals came Sessa, Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Va.) off the back post and Caarls for her hat trick.

“We can take lots of confidence from this game but know we face a stern test against Argentina who got off to a clinical start themselves,” added Passmore. “We have improved since we last played Argentina so need to bring that, the confidence from today and much more physical intensity against Argentina. I know that athletes are excited to test themselves.”

The USA women will return to the pitch Saturday, October 28 when they face No. 3 Argentina in their second pool game at 10:30 a.m. ET.

For more information regarding the 2023 Pan American Games, visit the event page. 

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