GWANGJU, South Korea – The United States wrapped up Group B action at the World University Games in South Korea on Wednesday morning and has advanced to the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, July 9 against Russia at 5 p.m. local time (1 a.m. PT).
Team USA finished its four games of pool play with a 1-2-1 overall record to come in third in the group with three points. Russia was the second-place squad from Group A, going 3-0-1 against the likes of Canada, Japan, China and Serbia. Following a tournament-opening tie (7-7) with Australia on July 3 and a setback against France (10-9) on July 5, the United States defeated Hungary, 10-8, on July 7 and dropped another close contest to Italy, 10-9, on July 8.
Jamie Neushul was the tournament’s fifth-leading scorer in the preliminary round, firing home 11 goals, while Kat Klass was tied for seventh with nine of her own. Gabby Stone is tied for the tournament lead with 37 saves and has also assisted on five U.S. goals on the counter.
Stanford 10 – Hungary 8
Jamie Neushul rattled the cage an astounding six times to send the United States to its first win of the 2015 World University Games on Tuesday over Hungary, 10-8.
Hungary jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before Neushul went to work, scoring in an extra-player situation on an assist from Kat Klass at 6:00 and tying things up when Gabby Stone hit her on the counter at 4:17. Stone set up another USA score when she assisted Klass streaking down the pool a few minutes later (1:40) and Dani Jackovich converted a penalty with 0:55 to go to give the United States a 4-2 lead through one.
Neushul (4:26), Madison Berggren (2:41) and Klass did the scoring for Team USA in the second quarter to give their country a 7-5 advantage at the half.
Neushul continued her dominant effort coming out of the break, scoring on the USA’s first two possessions of the third quarter. Following a Vivien Takacks turnover, Neushul was set up for her fourth of the morning by Jordan Raney (7:25). Hungary’s Alexa Anett Gemes hit the post before Klass hit Neushul for goal number five (6:31) to stake the Americans to a 9-5 lead.
Vivien Kovesdi was excluded with 47 seconds remaining in the period, allowing Neushul to put home her sixth and final of the match off a feed from Rachel Johnson (0:32). The United States wouldn’t score in the fourth, but its 10 goals in three quarters would suffice to pull out the 10-8 victory.
Gabby Stone stopped 10 of the 18 shots she faced, Klass had three assists and Neushul added three steals to her impressive goal total.
Stanford vs. Hungary
July 7, 2015 • Gwangju, South Korea
HUN 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 = 8
STAN 4 – 3 – 3 – 0 = 10
Hungary Goals: Nikoletta Eva Pengo 3, Alexa Anett Gemes 2, Zsofia Polak 2, Vivien Kovesdi
Hungary Saves: Diana Agnes Gundl 3, Anna Horvath 2
Stanford Goals: Jamie Neushul 6, Kat Klass 2, Madison Berggren, Dani Jackovich
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 10
Up next is Russia in the quarterfinals. We play at 5pm local time on Thur. pic.twitter.com/r7ktOibayL
— Stanford Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) July 8, 2015
Italy 10 – Stanford 9
Team USA fought back even with Italy, 9-9, on a Jordan Raney goal with 1:46 to go in the game, but Giuditta Garladi put one home from center tank with under a minute to go and the Italians hung on for a 10-9 victory on Wednesday.
Raney scored twice, along with Shannon Cleary, Katie Dudley and Kat Klass, while Jamie Neushul accounted for the other U.S. goal.
Italy scored the game’s first two before Klass got the United States on the board with 4:23 on the clock in the opening quarter off a patented feed on the counter attack from Gabby Stone in the cage. Katie Dudley put home her first of two in a man-up situation with 1:41 to go and the U.S. was down one after one, 3-2.
Cleary scored off yet another Stone pass on the break to tie the game for the first time early in the second frame (6:54) and start a back-and-forth stretch. Italy pulled ahead, but Neushul answered (5:56). The Italians scored another before Klass did the same (4:25) to tie things 5-5, but Italy would add a pair late to stake itself to a 7-5 lead through 16 minutes.
Cleary and Dudley each rattled the cage for the second time in the third quarter and Team USA was down one, 8-7, heading into the fourth. Gloria Giachi scored at 7:03 before the United States responded in the form of Jordan Raney, who converted two power-play opportunities (5:07 and 1:46) to give her country a chance before Garladi’s winner.
Stone made 12 saves in the cage on 22 shots in addition to her pair of assists. Dani Jackovich, Katie Dudley and Cassidy Papa each accounted for multiple steals.
Stanford vs. Italy
July 8, 2015 • Gwangju, South Korea
ITA 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 = 10
STAN 2 – 3 – 2 – 2 = 9
Italy Goals: Alessia Morvillo 3, Giuditta Galardi 2, Gloria Giachi 2, Ursula Gitto, Laura Repetto, Giulia Viacava
Italy Saves: Carola Falconi 4
Stanford Goals: Shannon Cleary 2, Katie Dudley 2, Kat Klass 2, Jordan Raney 2, Jamie Neushul
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 12