STANFORD, Calif. – The United States Women's National Team won its fourth consecutive gold medal at the FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai on Sunday behind the play of eight Cardinal. Rising sophomore Makenzie Fischer was named the tournament's most valuable player and Kiley Neushul '15 was voted to the media all-star team.
Neushul and Fischer were joined on Team USA by soon-to-be alumnae Jamie Neushul, Maggie Steffens and Gabby Stone, 2013 graduate Melissa Seidemann, rising senior Jordan Raney and incoming freshman Aria Fischer. Players with Cardinal ties accounted for eight of the United States' 13 roster spots.
Kiley Neushul led the U.S. with 13 goals in six games, including four in a 13-4 quarterfinal win over Australia. Fischer tied for second on the team in scoring with eight goals and had a hat trick to close out group play against Russia. Steffens added seven goals, Jamie Neushul, Raney and Seidemann each scored five and Aria Fischer added four.
Gabby Stone made 37 total saves in four appearances in the cage. She played each of Team USA's elimination games and made 10 saves against Australia in the quarterfinals, 10 against Hungary in the semifinals and nine against Canada in the final. The United States won the 11th Super Final title in program history with yesterday's 12-6 triumph over Canada and will now gear up for next month's FINA World Championship in Hungary.
Stanford accounted for all six of Team USA's goals in its 6-4 tournament-opening win over the Netherlands on June 6. Kiley Neushul had three and Aria Fischer, Raney and Steffens each chipped in one while Stone made eight stops. A 17-4 victory against Japan followed a day later, which included multi-goal efforts from both Neuhsul sisters, both Fischer sisters and Steffens. Seidemann scored once in that win.
Makenzie Fischer's heroics lifted the United States to close out group play with a 13-12 win against Russia on June 8. Fischer scored twice in the game's final 37 seconds and her game-winner as time expired capped a wild second half and secured first place in Group A for the U.S. Kiley Neushul (2), Raney (2), Aria Fischer (1) and Jamie Neushul (1) also contributed scores in the takedown of Russia.
Team USA cruised to a 13-4 win over Australia in the quarterfinals on Friday behind a team tournament-high four goals from Kiley Neushul and two-goal efforts from Seidemann and Steffens and 10 saves from Stone. The U.S. scored four answered goals in the second quarter against Hungary on Saturday to win 8-4 and advance to yesterday's final. Makenzie Fischer, Seidemann and Steffens all tallied one goal in the victory.
Sunday's final featured a 12-6 win for the United States with 10 goals scored by the seven Cardinal field players on Team USA, including multi-goal efforts from the Neushuls, Makenzie Fischer and Jordan Raney. Seidemann and Steffens also scored for the United States in the match, which clinched gold for the United States.
Stone made nine saves in the final and posted a 4.50 goals against average in her four appearances in Shanghai.
