STANFORD, Calif. – Melissa Seidemann was named MVP and the United States won silver at the recently concluded FINA Women's Intercontinental Tournament in Davis, Calif.
Seidemann, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was joined on Team USA by a pair of Cardinal signees in Aria Fischer, a 2016 Olympic champion herself, and Sarah Klass. Fischer and Klass will be freshmen on campus in the fall. In addition to the trio of Cardinal playing for the United States, 2016 graduate and two-time NCAA champion Gurpreet Sohi suited up for Canada, which finished third.
This event was the first competition for the United States since winning gold in Rio and was anchored by its Olympians in Seidemann and Fischer, who played alongside a roster of rising talents in the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program pipeline.
Seidemann scored nine goals in six games to collect most valuable player honors, Fischer poured in a team-high 14 scores and Klass scored once in the United States' 10-6 win over Japan on May 4, which clinched a spot for her country at the upcoming FINA World League Super Final.
Seidemann and Fischer each scored four times in a 12-7, tournament-opening win over Kazakhstan on May 2 and fired in two apiece in a 10-5 victory over China the following day. Team USA would beat Japan behind the goal from Klass and a hat trick from Fischer, before Seidemann sent in a game-winner with one second left to beat Canada on May 5, 6-5.
Fischer also scored twice against Sohi and the Canadians and Stanford's Olympic duo each scored one to help the United States rally from a 4-1, third-quarter deficit and force a shootout to beat Australia 9-7 on May 6.
In a rematch for the gold medal on May 7, Australia came out on top 10-7 despite a pair of goals from Fischer and another from Seidemann.
Sohi didn't find the back of the cage in Canada's first two matches of the tournament, losses to Japan and Australia, but scored once in each of the final four. Canada beat China 12-9 on May 4, lost by one goal to the United States on May 5, knocked off Kazakhstan 8-3 on May 6 and avenged the earlier loss to Japan on May 7, winning 5-2 to claim bronze.
