July 31, 1999

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Junior midfielder Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.) made the most of her first appearance in the U.S. National Field Hockey Team's starting lineup during the 1999 Pan Am Games by scoring a goal in the Americans' 4-0 win over Cuba on Friday.

Tagliente's goal came off a penalty corner 20 minutes into the game, which gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Jill Reeve got the Americans on the board just two minutes into the contest. Kate Barber and Michelle Vizzuso added goals in the second half.

Former Terp Kate Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.) logged her fourth consecutive start during the 1999 Pan Am Games, while another former Maryland star, Christine DeBow (West Chester, Pa.) saw playing time as a reserve.

Tagliente, a two-time All-American heading into her junior season at Maryland, was on the U.S. National Team in 1997 and was a reserve last season. She is the youngest player on the 1999 roster. Kauffman has been on the team since 1996 and DeBow has been on the squad since 1997.

Up next for the U.S. National Team is a Sunday contest against Mexico, starting at 1 p.m. MST. The Americans are 3-1 heading into Sunday's game and are still in contention for the gold medal.