Women’s WC 2009 Summary

Ireland Defeats Japan, Will Play Wales for 5th Place on Friday

Posted and updated, June 25, 2009

PRAGUE – In a game full of scoring streaks, Ireland made 8 straight goals to start the second half, and then held off Japan’s late rally for a 15-13 win.  Ireland’s record improved to 5-1 with the win, and they will closeout the Tournament on Friday when they play Wales for 5th place in the final standings.

The Irish women had taken a 4-0 lead in the first 6:30 of today’s game before the speedy Japanese side scored three times in under two minutes.  Then, after two more Ireland goals, Japan’s 4 goal streak put them ahead 7-6 at halftime.

Ireland controlled the ball for much of the second half’s first 20 minutes and built their lead to 14-7, but the Japanese returned to their high speed running game and scored five straight goals in the last five minutes to close out the contest.

Friday’s game against Wales, the 2008 women’s European champions, is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Prague.  Wales lost its quarterfinal contest with Canada, and defeated Scotland today for a spot in the 5th place game.
Ireland scoring against Japan – Blanchette, 3G, 1A; Cohen, 5G, 1A; Hogan, 1G; Johnson, 3G, 3A; Pellizzi, 3G; Smithwick, 1A.

Saves – Kahoe, 10

Ireland Loses Quarter Final to the US, Plays Japan on Thursday

June 24, 2009

Prague – First time World Cup participant Ireland got extra attention from the number one seed USA team by briefly leading today’s game, 4-3, but the Americans then scored 15 straight goals to easily win the quarter final contest, 22-5.

The US now moves to the semi-final round and a match with England tomorrow, and Ireland will play Japan, the team that England beat today, with both teams still competing for 5th through 8th place in the Tournament’s final standings.

Ireland’s match with Japan is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. in Prague, or 6:45 a.m. in Dublin.

Ireland scoring against the US – Cohen, 3G; Leggio, 1G, 1A; Pellizzi, 1G.

Saves – Kahoe, 11

Quick Scores Help Ireland Win Game and 8th Seed in Quarters

Posted and updated, June 23, 2009

PRAGUE – What a difference a day makes.  A day after playing the Six Nations team in a game with no goals in the first 15 minutes, the Irish team hit the net just 34 seconds into today’s game with the Czech Republic, and then scored again 56 seconds later on the way to a 20-10 victory.

The “play in” win in the only game at the Women’s World Cup today earned Ireland the 8th and final seed in the Tournament’s upper bracket, and a game with the number one seed USA team on Wednesday afternoon.

Kristin Blanchette continued her excellence on draw controls, and Katie Hogan raced to the goal and scored Ireland’s first goal before the Czech team ever touched the ball.  Then Kaitlin Leggio scored the first of her six first half goals for the Irish team right after that.  Winning draw controls and ground balls, and executing crisp passes in the midfield area and around the goals helped Ireland build a 13-5 lead at halftime that the opponents could not overcome.

Ireland scoring against Czech Republic – Blanchette, 1G; Cohen, 2G, 4A; Hogan, 3G, 2A; Johnson, 1G, 4A; Leggio, 6G, 3A; Morris, 1G; Pellizzi, 4G, 1A; Rosenzweig, 1G;
Smithwick, 1G.

Saves – Kahoe, 10

Defense Leads the Way to Ireland’s Third Straight Win

Posted and updated, June 22, 2009

PRAGUE – Facing their biggest challenge so far at the Women’s World Cup, Ireland goalie Alex Kahoe and her defensive teammates held the high scoring Haudenosaunee
(Six Nations) team to just one goal in the first half on the way to a 12-6 victory in the pool C playoff game on Monday.

The win means that Ireland, the only undefeated team in pool C, will play the Czech
Republic, the pool B third place team in a “play in” game on Tuesday afternoon, with the winner earning the 8th and final seed in the Tournament quarter finals.

Commenting about today’s game, Ireland head coach Dan Leidl said “We’re certainly excited about the win.  Alex and the defense played wonderfully together.  They supported each other against an incredibly talened offense, and kept us in the game when our offense was working to find its stride.”

Several saves by both goalies and relentless defensive pressure by both teams kept the score at 0-0 for more than 15 minutes in the opening half.  Lauren Cohen broke the deadlock scoring Ireland’s first goal while cutting across the crease, but the Six Nations side responded with a goal of its own less than a minute later.

Two minutes later Kaitlin Leggio’s goal put Ireland ahead 2-1, and, with five minutes left in the first half, Cohen scored again after the restart from a Six Nations injury time out, giving Ireland a 3-1 lead at halftime.

Six Nations closed the gap to 3-2 with a goal one minute in to the second half, but Irish goalie Kahoe responded with a critical save right after that, and her teammates scored three straight goals for a 6-2 lead before the opponents were able to score again.

“The team has been working incredibly hard as a group, and their efforts are paying
big dividends,” Leidl said.  “We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s game, and will embrace the challenge of playing up to the next level.”

Ireland scoring against Haudenosaunee – Blanchette, 1G; Cohen, 4G, 1A; Cosgrove, 1A;
Hogan, 2G; Johnson, 1G; Leggio, 2G; Morris, 1G; Pellizzi, 1G, 2A.

Saves – Kahoe, 13

Ireland Wins Again at The Women’s World Cup

Posted June 19, 2009, Updated June 20

PRAGUE – Ireland raced out to a 10-0 lead in the first 16:45 minutes of play against
The Netherlands on Friday afternoon, and then matched the opposition goal for goal
for a 23-13 win and its second victory in two days at the Women’s World Cup.

Because it won both of its “mini pool” games to start the Tournament,  the Irish team will play Haudenosaunee, the other pool C “mini pool” winner, on Monday, June 22, in a playoff match.  The winner of that game will then play the pool B third place team in a “play in” game on Tuesday for a chance to make the Tournament’s quarter-final round.

Haudenosaunee, a team of top players from the Iroquois Nations of North America,
defeated Austria, 20-0, and Denmark, 16-2, in its first two games of the Tournament.
Monday’s game will be played at 10:30 a.m. in Prague, or 4:30 a.m. Eastern time.

Ireland scoring against The Netherlands – Blanchette, 3G, 2A; Clarke, 1A; Cohen, 4G, 3A;
Cosgrove, 1G; Hogan, 5G, 2A; Johnson, 1G, 4A; Kinsella, 1G; Leggio, 2G, 4A; Morris, 1G, 1A; Pellizzi, 5G, 3A.

Saves – Kahoe, 11

Ireland Breezes to Victory in World Cup Opening Game

June 18, 2009
PRAGUE – Ireland played its first ever Women’s World Cup game on a windy afternoon,
and breezed to a 15-0 halftime lead, and 22-0 victory over a South Korean team that must
have wondered which player in a green jersey was going to score next.

Nine different players, half of the Irish side, scored goals, with Krista Pellizzi hitting the
net five times and six teammates also having multi-goal games.  Kristin Blanchette, Lauren
Cohen and Jaclyn Rosenzweig had three goals apiece.  Siobhan Carroll, Kaitlin Leggio, and
Robyn Morris each scored twice, and Jennifer Johnson and Anna Kinsella also put a point
on the scoreboard.

The Irish defense was not extensively tested in this game, but Alex Kahoe made saves
whenever South Korea managed to get a shot on goal, and she also made several fine
clearing plays.

Ireland returns to the field on Friday afternoon, June 19, at 4 p.m. (10 a.m. Eastern time)
for a contest with the Netherlands team that will be playing its first game in the Tournament.
The game can be watched live on-line at www.videosport.cz/