World Championships: Maggie Steffens Scores 5 Goals as U.S. Eases Past Brazil
Maggie Steffens scored five goals Tuesday as the United States moved to 2-0 in group play at the World Aquatics Championships with a 21-5 win over Brazil.
The results backs the American performance in its most difficult group game, a 10-8 win Sunday over reigning world champion Netherlands.
There would be no such drama Tuesday in Doha, the Americans leading 13-3 at half and 17-3 after three quarters. Amanda Longan handled matters in goal with 10 saves. The U.S. shot 72 percent (21-for-29) and was 4-for-4 on both power plays and fastbreak attempts.
Maddie Musselman and Jovana Sekulic were 3-for-3 shooting each. Tara Prentice added a hat trick, and Jenna Flynn and Kaleigh Gilchrist scored twice each.
The U.S. wraps up group play on Thursday with Kazakhstan, whom the Dutch rebounded to wallop 27-4. The Dutch shot 76 percent on action shots (19-for-25) in venting their frustrations behind seven Kitty-Lynn Joustra goals. Vivian Sevenich and Maartje Keuning scored four goals each, with eight players scoring multiple goals.
Spain turned what was on paper the day’s best game into a 16-8 rout of Greece courtesy of four goals from Bea Ortiz and nine saves from Martina Terre.
The day’s actual thriller came early, China pulling a shootout surprise to beat France, 11-10. It was an offensive struggle, neither team shooting better than 31 percent. Only Jing Zhang, who supplied seven goals, could score with any consistency. Yiwen Lu (two goals) won it in the seventh round of penalties.
Jiaqi Zhang made 12 saves for China. France’s Mia Rycraw stopped 16. Camelia Bouloukbachi led France with three goals, but required 14 shots to toil there.
Australia claimed an Oceania battle over New Zealand, 13-6, behind a 7-2 margin in the second half. Alice Williams buried four goals, and Gabriella Palm stopped 10 shots.
Canada brought Great Britain’s good recent form to a screeching halt in a 20-5 decision. Elyse Lemay-Lavoie led seven multi-goal scorers with four markers. Shae la Roche tallied a hat trick.
Italy routed South Africa, 25-3, thanks to five goals from Sofia Giustini and four each form Roberta Bianconi and Claudia Marletta. Hungary swam all over Singapore, 39-2, with Natasa Rybanska scoring seven goals and Greta Gurisatti added six, both on perfect shooting days.
