July 26, 2007

RIO DE JANEIRO - The USA Field Hockey women's national team fell short in the Pan American Games championship match and settled for a silver medal as the USA team fell to Argentina, 4-2, on Tuesday. The loss prolongs the USA team's Olympic qualifying pursuit as Argentina claimed the continent's automatic berth to the 2008 Olympic Games.

The USA must wait for an assignment to one of next year's three Olympic qualifying tournaments in Baku, Azerbaijan (April 12-20), Kazan, Russia (April 19-27) or Vancouver, B.C. (April 26-May 4). The USA will need to win its six-team qualifier to earn a trip to Beijing.

The USA took a 1-0 lead and looked to end Argentina's streak of five straight Pan Am Games championships. But the one-goal lead didn't last long as the defending champions tied the match early in the second half. Argentina then scored three goals in a six-minute span to take a 4-1 lead.

Wake Forest's Kelly Doton scored the game's final goal on a penalty corner with 12 minutes left in the game, but that was all the USA could do as Argentina won the title.

Argentina now joins host China, Africa champion South Africa and Asian Games runner-up Japan as teams clinching spots in the 2008 Olympic Games. Australia and New Zealand will likely receive the two Oceania quota berths at the Games as the only two traditional participants in the Oceania Cup (Sept. 10-17, 2007). The remaining European championship berth and the two European quota selections will be decided at the EuroHockey Nations Cup, Aug. 18-25 in Manchester, England. Three Olympic qualifying tournaments in April 2008 will round out the 12-team women's field in Beijing.

(parts of this article were taken from usafieldhockey.com)