Women Lead with Two Victories at IPAC Men Split the Days Results

SPRING CITY, Pa. – On the first day of competition at the 2021 Indoor Pan American Cups (IPAC) at The Training Center in Spring City Pa., the No. 12 U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team came away with two wins, while the No. 42 U.S. Men’s National Indoor Team split their results.

The No. 12 Indoor USWNT needed just 35 seconds to open the scoring against No. 21 Guyana. The goal came from Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.) off a penalty corner drag. Two more were added in the first quarter when Corinne Zanolli (Pittsburg, Pa.) used great individual skill to run the left baseline and pass it back to Ryleigh Heck (Berlin, N.J.) to score in the 7th minute. A minute later, Zanolli converted on a penalty corner to quickly make it 3-0.

An eight-goal second quarter put the match out of reach. Both Ashley Sessa (Schwenksville, Pa.) and Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.) tallied three each, while Heck and Zanolli notched their second goals of the game. USA went into the halftime break with a commanding 11-0 lead.

The dominance continued as Rose and Sessa both tallied again, and Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.) got on the board and Beth Yeager (Greenwich, Conn.) tacked on two more. Guyana did capitalize on a penalty corner rebound, after USA was unable to clear it away and Abosaide Cadogan’s shot deflected high over USA goalkeeper Sierra Espeland’s (Fredericksburg, Va.) head.

In the final quarter, Cadogan scored again for Guyana but USA went on to answer with four goals to close out the game. Another two from Rose, and Sessa and Yeager added one each to make the final score 20-2.

The No. 42 Indoor USMNT opened with a fast-paced game against No. 20 Argentina. The first quarter started static, as both teams patiently waiting for the opportune moment to go forward. Los Leones had the first shot of the game, when a low angle chance tested USA goalkeeper Jonathan Klages (Berlin, Germany) to make a baseline save. It looked like time would expire and the opening frame would stay scoreless but with 30 seconds remaining, Argentina got on the board with a low angle flick into the upper right of the net by Facundo Navarro.

USA came out of the break firing and tied the match within the first minute off a penalty corner goal from Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany). Argentina had two close chances to regain the lead, but Klages came up with big saves. In the 18th minute, Vincent Heller (Stuttgart, Germany) received a ball wide open in front of Argentina goalkeeper Alan Frias but his spinning shot went through his legs and wide. Moments later, after a failed USA penalty corner, a perfect passing sequence that went from Pat Harris (Moorpark, Caif.) to Heller back out to Harris, down to Ajai Dhadwal (Agoura Hills, Calif.) was finished by a diving Heller for the go ahead. A minute following, USA earned a penalty corner that Harris sent over a rushing Frias for the lead. With 28 seconds to go in the half, Nehuen Ayala Gallo put one in over Klages shoulder to make it 3-2.

Two minutes into the third, Navarro tallied his second of the game to tie the match. USA had a few chances, earning several penalty corners and shots but couldn’t find an outcome. With 20 seconds to go, Argentina’s Juan Eleicegui scored the go ahead and game winner redirecting a long ball sent into the circle.

No goals were scored by either side in the final quarter, as USA narrowly lost 3-4.

In the first minute, Hope Rose (Dauphin, Pa.) had a deep intercept that she took into the circle but was unable to find an outcome. Moments later, USA goalkeeper Sam Carlino (Lawrence Township, N.J.) was forced to come out of the goal to deny a Canada shot. USA earned a penalty stroke in the sixth minute, but Ali Campbell (Gilbertsville, Pa.) was unable to convert. In the final minute, USA earned a penalty corner and although the initial attempt was broken, Corinne Zanolli (Pittsburgh, Pa.) scored off a low angle flick into the net to give USA a 1-0 lead.

USA tallied four goals in the second frame and Canada added one, to bring the score to 5-1. The first came two minutes in from great stick skill by Ashley Sessa (Schwenksville, Pa.) who weaved between two Canada defenders and reverse passed it to Zanolli off the right post. The next in the 14th minute, was a cross by Rose that was put in by Kasey Tapman (Pasadena, Md.). In the 17th minute, USA earned a penalty stroke for a hard stick foul and Rose put it in the upper left. Two minutes later, a pickup by Tapman in the middle led to an instant attack where she sped down the right side and passed it into the circle where Rose got a stick on it to deflect it over Canada goalkeeper Kathryn Williams. Canada scored when Madison Thompson received it and turned to the reverse and sent it into the net to make it 5-1.

Canada came out in the third with tighter defense and stronger tackles limiting USA’s chances. Canada scored three minutes in to bring it to 5-2 through a rebound goal from Thompson. In the 28th minute, Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.) was issued a four-minute yellow card giving Canada a player up advantage. A close chance came for them to continue to cut the lead when Alison Lee had a hard shot that was saved off the glove of a diving Carlino.

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Canada brought the score to 5-3 after Lee sent a penalty stroke to the upper left of the goal. Two minutes later, they got within one after maintaining possession off an unscored penalty corner where Katheen Leahy put it past Carlino. With time ticking down, Canada pulled their goalkeeper with 30 seconds remaining, but USA held on for the 5-4 win.

In the final game of the day, the No. 42 Indoor USMNT used a fast start to upend No. 15 Canada.

In the fifth minute, Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany) sent a long ball off the boards down to Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) who beat Canada goalkeeper Pardeep Koonar. Two minutes later in a 3v2 situation, Kaeppeler took it himself and flicked it into the net to make it 2-0.

USA extended their lead by two more in the second frame. In the 15th minute, Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.) used speed down the left side and got past Koonar and Harris finished. Four minutes later, DeAngelis added his name to the score sheet after scoring on a right side build up through Kaeppeler and Harris.

The start of the third didn’t have any outcomes until Canada earned back-to-back penalty corners in the 27th minute. Both attempts were unsuccessful as USA immediately transitioned forward. A long ball from Ajai Dhadwal (Agour a Hills, Calif.) went cross court to JaJa Kentwell (Spring City, Pa.) who sent it past Canada goalkeeper Adam Kapasi. Vincent Heller (Stuttgart, Germany) capped off USA’s scoring in the 31st minute after driving from the right to left side and using his reverse to flip it in the goal. Canada got on the board in the 37th minute, capitalizing on a four-minute yellow card issued to Colin Hennessy (Marlborough, Mass.). With the athlete up advantage on a penalty corner, Canada slipped it to Micah Teixeria for the finish.

Today's games marked career milestones for a handful of Team USA athletes. Receiving their first internatonal cap on the women's side was Ryleigh Heck (Berlin, N.J.), Kelly Smith (Downingtown, Pa.), Kasey Tapman (Pasadena, Md.) and Rayne Wright (Bethlehem, Pa.), and on the men's team Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.), Vincent Heller (Stuttgart, Germany), Colin Hennessy (Marlborough, Mass.), Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany), Jonathan Klages (Berlin, Germany) and Izaak Pels (Spring City, Pa.).

No fans are allowed in attendance, but all IPAC matches can be live streamed free on the Pan American Hockey Federation’s YouTube and Watch.Hockey.

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