TORONTO, Ont. - Former Maryland field hockey players Katie O'Donnell, Jill Witmer and the U.S. Women's National Team won gold in the Pan American Games Friday with a 2-1 win over Argentina.
The USA is one of eight nations competing in field hockey with advancing to Friday's finals, Team USA clinched its bid to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.
The Pan American matches are not televised. For full info on the Pan American Games, click here. Live stats will be available at Toronto2015.org.
July 24 - team usa wins gold at pan am games
O'Donnell, Witmer and fifth-ranked Team USA beat third-ranked Argentina, 2-1, Friday night to win gold in their second straight Pan American games.
"Congratulations to team usa on taking the gold medal at the Pan American games," Maryland associate head coach and former Olympian Dina Rizzo said. "Defending their Pan American title against one of the top teams in the world is an incredible accomplishment."
July 22 - usa qualifies for 2016 olympics
O'Donnell, Witmer and Team USA qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over host nation Canada. With the win, the U.S. has not allowed a goal in its five games in the tournament.
"We are so excited to qualify for the Olympics," Witmer said. "We've been working so hard day in and day out, so it's just exciting to officially be in. We are on cloud nine."
With the win, Team USA will play Argentina in the Pan American gold medal game Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
"A landmark win qualifies the USWNT for three consecutive Olympic games," Maryland head coach Missy Meharg said. "We are so pleased for the team and staff team and proud of Maryland's attack duo Katie O'Donnell and Jill Witmer. The USA vs. Argentina match tomorrow evening will be fast paced and fiercely competitive. USA is scoring dynamic field goals from a variety of attackers which makes us dangerous."
"Congratulations to Team USA and Terps Katie O'Donnell and Jill Witmer on qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in
Rio," Maryland associate head coach and Olympian Dina Rizzo said. "We are so proud of them on this accomplishment and it's well-deserved."
July 20 - team usa beats the dominican republic, 15-0, to moVe to semis
O'Donnell, Witmer and Team USA dominated the Dominican Republic, 15-0, Monday in the Pan American Games semifinals.
O'Donnell and Witmer each scored twice and now are among the top goal scorers in the tournament. Witmer has scored five goals, while O'Donnell has scored four.
With the win, Team USA moves on to play the host-nation Canada in the semifinals Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
"We're really excited to play against Canada," Witmer said. "It's another opportunity to play against a really good opponent. Our offense has been clicking lately and our defense has been solid, so hopefully we can keep that up."
July 17 - usa crushes cuba, 12-0, to advance to quarterfinals
O'Donnell, Witmer and the U.S. women's national team crushed Cuba, 12-0, Friday to win their pool and advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan American Games in Toronto.
Team USA beat Uruguay, 5-0, Monday, then topped Chile, 2-0, Wednesday before Friday's match. Witmer scored the Americans' first goal seven minutes into the match against Chile.
"It's definitely a threat going forward because teams have to worry about everyone on the field, not just one or two athletes who repeatedly score," said O'Donnell. "We're pretty well balanced in all of our positions, and I don't ever feel we need that one player to get the job done. That's a calming effect within our team. To have that confidence in every player you pass the ball to is a dream come true for any team."
In Friday's dominant win, Team USA got on the board early in the 2nd minute of play on a goal by O'Donnell, who moved the Cuban goalie off angle to score and give Team USA a 1-0 lead. The scoring continued in the 25th minute of play when O'Donnell notched her second goal of the game to lift USA to a score of 5-0. Witmer found the back of the cage off a loose ball in front of the goalmouth to make the score USA 6, Cuba 0 going into halftime.
The U.S. will face the fourth-place team in Pool A, which will be determined Friday evening.
"The Pan Am Games are a really exciting event to play in. You are surrounded by athletes from so many different sports where many are trying to qualify for the Olympic games," Maryland associate head coach and former Olympian Dina Rizzo said. "The U.S. is playing their best hockey this tournament and the attack is now gelling. Best of luck to Team USA on qualifying for the 2016 Olympics."
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