49ers Fall to Team USA 12-5
No. 2-ranked Team in the World Beats No. 4-Ranked Collegians
LONG BEACH, CA-- Former Long Beach State All-Americans Guy Baker and Kyle Kopp brought world's second-best team, Team USA, back to their alma mater, and defeated the fourth-best collegiate team 12-5 on Wednesday afternoon, thanks to seven unanswered goals. It was the No. 4-ranked 49ers fourth exhibition match against a National Team this season, and first loss.
The Beach played the Nationals close for a period, trailing 4-3 after the first seven minutes, but Team USA would score seven in a row to lead 11-3 with 5:19 left in the fouth period. Roberta Stewart and Cassie Azevedo had two goals a piece for the 49ers, while one of the world's top outside shooters, Ericka Lorenz, tallied three goals. Heather Petri also had three goals, while Heather Moody, and Thalia Munro had two a piece for the U.S. who close out its collegiate schedule on Saturday at UCLA.
LBSU scored the first goal of the game when Stewart, a member of the New Zealand National Team and a 49er sophomore, scored with 5:39 left in the first. But consecutive goals from Lorenz, Munro and Catharine VonSchwarz made it 3-1 with 2:42 left.
After Azevedo, a member of the U.S. Junior National program, closed it to 3-2 with 1:27 left, one of the world's top centers, Moody put Team USA up 4-2 with 1:08 remaining. Garcia, a member of the Puerto Rican National Team and a junior for the 49ers, closed the deficit to 4-3 with 42 seconds left in the first, before Team USA shut the door, scoring six goals over the second and third periods to lead 10-3.
Baker, the head coach for Team USA, and Kopp, his assistant, both had All-American careers for The Beach before each joining the National program.
At Hawaii's Tournament two weeks ago, LBSU defeated New Zealand and tied Australia twice.
Bri Hawkins tallied seven saves in the net for The Beach, while Bernice Orwig (five saves) and Nicole Payne (three saves) split time in the net for the Nationals. | TEAMS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -- | SCORE | RECORDS | | Team USA | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | 12 | exhib. | | #4 LBSU | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -- | 5 | | USA Goals: Ericka Lorenz-3, Heather Petri-3, Heather Moody-2, Thalia Munro-2, Catharine VonSchwarz, Margiee Dingledein
LBSU Goals: Roberta Stewart-2, Cassie Azevedo-2, Angelica Garica
| Saves: Bri Hawkins (LBSU) 7, Bernice Orwig (5 saves, 3 GAA, USA), Nicolle Payne (3 saves, 2 GAA, USA). |
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