Indoor USWNT Defeats Canada, Sit Top of Pool After Second Day of 2024 IPAC

CALGARY, Canada – In their second 2024 Indoor Pan American Cup game, the No. 8 U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team took on hosts No. 12 Canada. USA opened the scoring at the end of the first quarter and never looked back as Reese D’Ariano (West Chester, Pa.) tallied five in the 6-2 victory.

USA started quick gathering three circle entries and two shots in the first 3 minutes. They saw a close chance in the 7th minute when D’Ariano weaved through and got in front of Canada goalkeeper Rowan Harris. This was followed up by a shot by Ryleigh Heck (Ocean City, N.J.) that was denied by Harris. With a minute to go, D’Ariano broke through and set Heck up with a cross pass but Morgan Hanley made a great open goal, recovering stop. On the resuming play, USA earned a penalty corner and D’Ariano converted to make it 1-0. With 6 seconds to go, Canada earned a set piece, but goalkeeper Elizabeth Tamburro (Phoenixville, Pa.) made the stick save.

To open the second quarter, an uncharacteristic USA foul outside the circle gave Canada an upgraded penalty corner. Fortunately, Tamburro came up with the standing stop as the ball went off her shoulder pad. In the 18th minute, USA added to their lead after Melea Weber (Macungie, Pa.) collected it in the middle and passed it out on the right to D’Ariano who drove forward and put it into the net. Canada tried to threaten in the remaining minutes, but a solid USA defense kept it at 2-0 going into the break.

In the 23rd minute during a Canada 2-minute yellow card, USA earned a penalty corner after Erin Matson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) used speed to get into the circle. The slip pass to Matson was saved out of the air, off the goal line and played dangerously down giving the United Eagles a second chance. On that attempt, D’Ariano was successful in putting it in the net, to record her hat trick. Two minutes later, D’Ariano struck again off a set piece to bring it to 4-0. In the 28th minute, Canada worked hard to earn a penalty corner and off the re-award, Kathleen Leahy put it past Tamburro to add one back. The frame closed 4-1 in favor of USA.

Canada opened the fourth in control and saw a close chance when a cross threaded through and had Tamburro beat off the post. In the 34th minute, Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.) was issued a green card for drilling and immediately after Canada capitalized off a penalty corner when Alison Lee put it off the bottom of the crossbar to make it 4-2. Matson added an insurance goal in the 37th minute tucking it in nearside through Canada’s goalkeeper Camilla MacGillivray. D’Ariano wasn’t done scoring and just before the close, converted on a low angle shot from the left baseline to make the final 6-2.

Today’s contest marked career milestones for two Team USA athletes. Sabrina McGroarty (Mickleton, N.J.) and Melea Weber (Macungie, Pa.) both played in their first international indoor cap.

The USA women play will face No. 31 Uruguay tomorrow, March 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the full event live pay-per-view on Watch.Hockey. 

For more information regarding the 2024 Indoor Pan American Cups, visit the event page.

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