Armstrong Makes Seven Saves as USA Outlasts China 12-11 in Women's Olympic Opener

BEIJING, China -- The U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo were given all they could handle in their opening game against China as they battled back for a 12-11 win in their first game of Group A play at the Ying Tung Natatorium. Natalie Golda led the team on offense with four goals while Kami Craig tossed in three.

It was a back and forth contest throughout with no team able to gain much distance from the other. Golda opened the scoring at around the 5 minute mark as she cruised down the middle of the pool to about five meters before blasting one past the Chinese goal keeper. China answered right back with a goal on the next possession and then added another and they had taken a 2-1 lead. With a minute to go in the period Craig created position inside and was able to deliver tying the score at 2-2. The scoring wasn't done there as China quickly scored to go up 3-2 only to have Golda hit again following a Moriah van Norman drawn exclusion.

It was knotted at 3-3 headed to the second when China opened up a 5-3 lead at the 6:36 mark in the period. This was short-lived as a minute later Brenda Villa skipped one in, then Golda connected again, and Brittany Hayes  lit the proverbial lamp and Team USA was back in front at 6-5. At this point China pulled their starting goalkeeper Jun Yang in favor of backup Ying Tan. That spurred the Chinese on to tie the game at 6-6 with 2:19 remaining but within thirty seconds Golda has scored again and it was 7-6 in favor of the United States. China added another score to tie the game, and were seemingly go to retake the lead when Betsey Armstrong came through with a clutch save at the :28 second mark. Hayes added a score on a dish from Villa with :14 tickets left and the USA were in front 8-7 at halftime.

The scoring rolled along into the third as USA took advantage of a double exclusion called against China with van Norman using multiple pump fakes before burying a shot right on the doorstep. Armstrong came up huge again denying a penalty shot on a five meter call about a minute later, but the Chinese would not waver scoring at the 2:27 mark to come within a tally at 9-8. Craig found the cage again with a little over a minute remaining and the lead was two, but China answered on a penalty shot with half a minute remaining and it was just a 10-9 game headed to the fourth.

In the final stanza China came out firing scoring back to back goals to grab the lead at 11-10 with 5:46 remaining. Not about to lay down at this point Golda passed off to Craig who put it home for her third goal and a tie game at 11-11. The difference maker came with 3:32 remaining when Lauren Wenger worked in on the near side, received a pass from Villa and fired it past the keeper for the lead at 12-11. Both teams would trade possessions with China having the last chance with eight seconds left. They never mustered a shot before time expired and the United States came away with the victory.

The team was solid on the player advantage going 4/6 while China went 4/9 and converted 1/2 on penalty shots. In addition an Olympics record was set for most combined goals (23) in a women’s water polo match that did not use extra time. Next up for Team USA will be a match with defending Gold Medalist Italy on Wednesday, August 13 at 3:40 pm local Beijing time (12:40 am PST, 9:40 am EST).


Scoring:

USA: N. Golda 4, K. Craig 3, B. Hayes 2, B. Villa 1, L. Wenger 1. M. van Norman 1
CHINA: A. Gao 3, H. Sun 2, F. Teng 2, Y. Sun 2, P. Liu 1, H. Ma 1

Saves: USA - Armstrong 7 ;  CHINA - J. Yang 1

6x5 - USA - 4/6 ;  CHINA - 4/9 (1/2 penalties)

Release courtesy USA Water Polo