After finishing second in 2009, Argentina wins 2016 Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup

Capitalizing on their penalty corners, Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 to win the 2016 Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. Argentina also came away with the Best Player of the Tournament that was awarded to María José Granatto. Unable to get past England’s strong defense, the United States falls to England to finish in 8^th place. Behind the strong play of keeper Sachi Ananías, on her Birthday, Chile secured 11^th place after winning a thrilling shoot-out over Korea.

 

Final Standings of PAHF teams:

Argentina: 1^st

United States: 8^th

Chile: 11^th

Best Player of the Tournament: María José Granatto (ARG)

Final: Netherlands 2–4 Argentina

Argentina battled Netherlands for possession throughout the beginning of the first half. In the 8^th minute, Lucina von der Heyde had Argentina’s first possession in their attacking circle. Netherlands, however, denied Argentina any time with the ball in their attacking circle and play continued in midfield. In the 13^th minute, Argentina played tough defense to block up two Netherlands penalty corners. Then Argentina rushed onto attack and Julieta Jankunas had a hard reserve shot go high over the cage. The Netherlands quickly regained possession and Imme van der Hoek hit a hard shot past Argentina keeper María Rossetti to give Netherlands the lead in the 19^th minute. A few minutes later Netherlands’ Kyra Fortuin received a yellow card and Argentina looked to take advantage on attack, but the Netherlands continued to maintain most of the possession.

Argentina earned their first penalty corner of the match in the 27^th minute and Bianca Donati put in her signature penalty corner shot to tie the match against the Netherlands. A couple minutes later Argentina held off another penalty corner by the Netherlands. In the 33^rd minute, Jankunas had another good shot on goal, but it was blocked by Netherlands’ keeper Anne Veenedaal. With time winding down in the first half, the crowd started to cheer very loudly for Argentina. Argentina did not let up and earned their second penalty corner of the match as time expired in the first half. Barbara Borgia’s shot found the back of the net and gave Argentina the one goal lead to go into halftime Netherlands 1, Argentina 2.

To start the second half, Argentina also started the half, like the first, on defense. Agostina Alonso and von der Heyde played strong defense in the midfield to keep Netherlands from getting the ball into their attacking circle. Argentina started to apply their first attacking pressure of the second half around the 41^st minute. Paual Ortiz capitalized off her team’s hard work in the 43^rd minute with a goal that gave Argentina a two goal lead over the Netherlands. The Netherlands did not let up and cut Argentina’s lead to one goal in the 50^th minute when Pien Sanders got the ball right past a diving Rossetti, to make the score Netherlands 2, Argentina 3.

Two minutes later Rossetti rushed out of goal to stop a Netherlands player about to take a shot. Argentina then had another shot blocked by Veenedaal. Alonso continued to play strong defense in the midfield to break up Netherlands’ fast paced attack. Argentina continued to pressure on attack and keep play in their attacking half. In the 58^th minute, Netherlands had another break away, but Agustina Gorzelany deflected the shot. Argentina continued to play strong defense late in the second half as Netherlands looked to tie the match. From about the 63^rd minute, Argentina tried to keep really tight possession of the ball, despite the fact that Netherlands was preventing them from entering their attacking circle; and trying to pressure on attack as well. Argentina successfully held off the Netherlands’ attacking pressure in the final minutes; and in the final minute was able to get the ball back down into their attacking circle. With under half a minute remaining in the match, Argentina was awarded a penalty stroke that Gorzelany converted that made the final score Netherlands 2, Argentina 4. Thus, Argentina was the champion of the 2016 Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. Whereby at the last Junior Hockey World Cup in Boston, USA in 2009 it was Netherlands who won and Argentina was the runner-up. During the tournament awards, Argentina’s María José Granatto was awarded Best Player of the Tournament; and Argentina was given medals and the FIH trophy. 

7^th/8^th place match: England 3-1 United States;  8^th place-United States

The United States played against England for 7^th place in their last match of the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. After both teams traded possession in the midfield for about the first ten minutes of the match, England’s Esme Burge got the ball past a diving Kelsey Bing, the USA keeper, in the 9^th minute. In the 17^th minute, the United States earned their first penalty corner of the match, but the shot was blocked by England’s keeper Miriam Pritchard. The United States kept up their attacking intensity and Gab Major had a high reverse chip shot go just barely over the top of the goal. However, then the United States earned another penalty corner and Erin Matson’s penalty corner goal tied the match 1-1 in the 19^th minute. The United States then came back and immediately earned another penalty corner off the restart, but could not covert. For the next ten minutes, however, England dominated possession and Bing made two big saves to block up an England penalty corner in the 33^rd minute to keep the match tied.  As time expired in the first half, again Bing came up big helping to deny two England penalty corners to keep the match tied 1-1 at halftime.

The second half of the match for 7^th place, started with the United States playing defense as England tried to work the ball in their attacking circle. In the 39^th minute, the United States had their first scoring opportunity of the second half when a shot by Julianna Tornetta went just wide of the goal cage. Unfortunately, England then went back on attack and Lydia Macdonell’s hard shot gave England the lead in the 41^st minute. The United States then started to dominate possession, but kept trying to work the ball down their left side of the pitch that was consistently broken up by England’s squad. The United States then went back on defense when England regained possession and earned a penalty corner in the 56^th minute that Charlotte Daly converted to make the score England 3, United States 1. The United States then rushed into their attacking circle and kept pressuring on attack for almost ten minutes, but could not get past England’s strong defense.  Laura Hurff then made a big defensive save to prevent a England breakaway in the 67^th minute. With the United States unable to capitalize off last minute attack, the final score remained England 3, United States 1. As a result, the United States finished in 8^th place.

11^th/12^th place match: Korea 2–2 Chile (1-3 SO); 11^th place-Chile

Chile met Korea to fight for 11^th place in the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. Three minutes into the match, Chile’s keeper Sachi Ananías and the rest of her team found themselves blocking up a Korea penalty corner. After having just played limited minutes in Chile’s match against Japan, Ananías had her first tournament start on her birthday and ended up making the most of it. In the 8^th minute, Chile earned their first two penalty corners of the match. After the first shot was blocked by Korea’s keeper Eunhee Lim, Captain Denise Krimerman lifted the ball over Lim who was lying down to block the shot, giving Chile the early lead. Chile and Korea continued to battle for possession. In the 16^th minute, Korea’s Soyun Moon tied the match off a penalty corner as she stood unmarked on the left goal post. Chile then played strong defense to break up two more Korea penalty corners. In the 25^th minute, Chile earned three more penalty corners, but had two of the shots blocked by Lim, keeping the match tied Korea 1, Chile 1. Fans kept cheering loudly for Chile from the stands. Again, Chile battled Korea for possession as play remained in the midfield and Korea’s attacking half for the last ten minutes of the first half. Krimerman and Ananías played tough defense in the final minutes to hold off Korea’s attacking pressure. Thus, the match remained tied Korea 1, Chile 1 at halftime.

Like the first half, the second half started with Chile playing tough defense to successfully block up a penalty corner by Korea. Chile then rushed on attack and had a hard shot go wide in the 38^th minute. Ananías then made another big save, but Korea’s Seoyeong Kim then got the ball past Ananías to give Korea the lead in the 40^th minute. Chile had their next scoring opportunity of the second half with a penalty corner in the 47^th minute, but the hard flick went wide. Kim Jacob pressured Korea’s backfield and that led to another penalty corner for Chile in the 52^nd minute, but Korea’s defense blocked up the shot to maintain their lead over Chile. Josefa Salas had a shot blocked by Lim in the 56^th minute; and then Chile continued to trade possession with Korea as both teams looked to attack. Sofia Machado then hit a shot past Lim that just barely trickled over the goal line to tie the match two each. Two minutes later, Chile earned another penalty corner and the crowd went wild. Chile had three consecutive penalty corners blocked by Lim and the rest of Korea’s penalty corner defense. Korea and Chile traded penalty corners in the final five minutes of the match, but with either team unable to score again the match went into a shoot-out.

Antonia Morales Orchard went first in the shoot-out for Chile and had her shot blocked by Lim. Then Salas hit a high reverse chip shot that tied the shoot-out 1-1. Up third for Chile was Consuelo de las Heras whose play resulted in a penalty stroke. Kim Jacob took the penalty stroke, but Lim was there for the save. Domenica Ananías Cancino went fourth for Chile and just barely got her shot past Lim. With Ananías denying the third and fourth shots for Korea, Captain Krimerman’s shoot-out goal secured the victory over Korea and the 11^th place finish for Chile in the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup.