USC
U.S. National Team (Exhibition)
U.S. National Team Defeats Women Of Troy In Exhibition
March 26, 2003 | Women's Water Polo
March 25, 2003
LOS ANGELES -The U.S. women's water polo team continued its collegiate exhibition tour with a 9-6 twilight win over No. 3 ranked USC at McDonald's Swim Stadium on Tuesday.
Bernice Orwig (Anaheim, CA), the lone USC-alum currently on the U.S. National Team, started the game for Team USA and played brilliantly, making six saves in two quarters of play. For Orwig, it was just nice to be back in L.A.
"It's definitely good to be back," she said through a smile. "It was nice to play in such a familiar environment. I remembered what it was like to have the sun in my eyes during this time of day."
It didn't look like Orwig was battling the sun anymore than her teammates were in the early going. USA team captain Heather Moody (Green River, WY/San Diego State/New York Athletic Club) buried the first goal of the game at the 3:07 mark of the first quarter on a pass into set from Thalia Munro (Santa Barbara, CA/UCLA). The U.S. took a 2-0 lead on a counterattack score by Ellen Estes (Novato, CA/Stanford) and Margie Dingeldein's (Merced, CA/Stanford) lob shot with one minute before the end of the quarter gave the team a 3-0 advantage.
USC got on the board in the second quarter when Russian National Teamer Sofia Konoukh lobbed a shot bar in after a quick pass from USA junior team player Moriah Van Norman. But the U.S. answered in the waning seconds of the quarter, when a cross from Estes found a wide-open Amber Stachowski (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/UCLA/Golden West) for a skip shot finish to make it 4-1 heading into the half.
Konoukh touched the net again with 4:18 to play in the third quarter, her shot deflecting off of two other players before settling in the goal. Estes got busy late in the quarter, scoring a goal from the perimeter and a quick backhand from two-meters, helping her team to a 6-2 lead. German National Team player Katrin Dierolf connected on a player-advantage with 45 seconds left in the third quarter, but Moody hit from the point on Team USA's next possession, bringing the score to 7-3.
Dierolf made the best of another player-up early in the fourth to make it a 7-4 game. But a few good passes helped the U.S. provide a cushion on the scoreboard. With 4:40 to go, Munro found Dingeldein for a score and with 3:04 on the clock, Gabbie Domanic (Santa Ana, CA/Foothill High School) fed an open Estes an interior pass that she put away for her fourth goal of the day.
Eszter Gyori, who plays in the Hungarian National Team program, made the score 9-5 on a long lob shot and Dierolf posted her third goal of the game with 38 seconds remaining to round out the scoring at 9-6.
USC travels to No. 2 Stanford on Saturday (March 29) at 7 p.m. and No. 9 San Jose State on Sunday (March 30) at 1 p.m. in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches.
Box Score
Team USA 3 1 3 2 -- 9USC 0 1 2 3 -- 6
Individual ScoringTeam USA: Estes 4, Dingeldein 2, Moody 2, Stachowski 1USC: Dierolf 3, Konoukh 2, Gyori 1
Goal SavesTeam USA: Orwig 6, Payne 5USC: Graff 3, Mix 3
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