SURREY, BC, Canada – The No. 7 U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team returned to the pitch at Tamanawis Park in Surrey, Canada after an off day to take on No. 39 Mexico. In their third match of the 2024 Junior Pan American Championships (JPAC), the Junior Eagles claimed a dominant 11-1 victory.
After a slow start, USA was immediately awake, as they capitalized on their first trip into their attacking 25. A ball up the line from Olivia Bent-Cole (Philadelphia, Pa.) to Dani Mendez-Trendler (Reistertown, Md.) was sent across, where Mia Abello (Houston, Texas) finished it in cage two minutes in. From then on, the red, white, and blue stayed up on the offensive. A long aerial ball sent up by Josie Hollamon (Delmar, Del.) bounced down in the circle where Maci Bradford (Delmar, Del.) expertly hit it out of the air and into the net to give USA a 2-0 lead.
USA started to smooth out their passing late in the quarter. A reverse shot from Isabella Bianco (Berlin, N.J.) at 12 minutes hit the outside of the net. A minute later, Mendez-Trendler earned USA their first penalty corner, where the straight shot from Bianco was saved. With less than a minute remaining, another set piece chance for USA was also without result, as the first frame ended with USA leading 2-0.
Looking to make up the early deficit, Mexico came out fast to start the second, making their first break into USA’s defensive circle in the first 30 seconds. Within minutes, the Junior Eagles were back on the attack, with a shot by Mendez-Trendler going wide at the 16th minute, and Milaw Clause (Stroudsburg, Pa.) earning a penalty corner shortly after. Mexico looked to make another break shortly after, slowed down by Hollamon and Lucy Adams (Andover, Mass.). At the 21-minute mark, Mexico earned their first penalty corner chance, which was cleared and sent down the field, where MK Myklebust (Los Gatos, Calif.) earned a set piece for USA.
After a quiet first 10 minutes of the frame, USA finally struck again, after patient passing in the defense led to a shot in the circle from Bent-Cole that put USA up 3-0. A few additional penalty corner chances followed for USA, all without success. At minute 29, some hard work down the righthand side from Abello paid off as she dribbled baseline and sent the ball up to Mendez-Trendler, who guided it in to give USA a 4-0 advantage. The two teams entered the halftime break with USA leading, 4-0.
It was the Junior Eagles who were hot out of the gate this time around, as they worked to earn a penalty corner just a minute into the third quarter. A simple set piece put USA up 5-0 as Jans Croon (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) swept the ball into the back of the cage. Bent-Cole made it 6-0, USA, with a beautiful backhand shot at the 38-minute mark. On a penalty corner chance with about 5 minutes in the quarter, USA earned several subsequent chances but were unable to convert. In the final minutes, Mexico made a push up on attack, earning their own set piece chance at 43-minutes that was successful. The goal put the score at 6-1, USA leading, heading into the final quarter.
The Junior Eagles were eager to make up for the goal scored against them, pushing on attack in the fourth frame. With aerials and vision, USA found space throughout the field, and a lovely passing sequence ended with Bradford guiding the ball in from the post. Now leading 7-1, USA kept up the pressure, tacking on another a few minutes later off a give-and-go between Bianco and Hope, with the latter hitting the left corner of the cage. With the floodgates open, Adams found another for USA, scoring from the stroke line to put the red, white, and blue up 9-1.
At minute 54, Mexico was back up in their attacking 25, earning a set piece chance. In goal for USA, Alyssa Klebasko (Odenton, Md.) made her first save of the match and second on the subsequently awarded penalty corner. A quick transition up the field, USA made it double digits off another goal from Bent-Cole in the 55th minute. USA converted on a penalty corner soon after to make it 11-1, as the straight shot from Ave Moore (Southampton, N.J.) hit the back board. As the final whistle sounded, USA would take a dominant 11-1 victory.
Next for the Junior Eagles will be a rematch of the 2023 JPAC as they face No. 2 Argentina on Sunday, July 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
For more information regarding the 2024 Junior Pan American Championships, visit the event page.
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