United States Rallies to Beat Russia

It wasn’t the way the U.S. wanted to finish its own tournament, but the Americans settled for a 7-5 victory over Russia in the third-place match of the UPS Holiday Cup women’s water polo tournament Sunday at the Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center.

The tournament featured three teams that have already qualified for the 2000 Olympics--World Cup champion the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. Australia defeated Canada in Sunday’s title game, 5-4.

The U.S. played in the third-place match after a disappointing 7-5 loss to Canada Saturday.

“It seems like every tournament we play,” U.S. Coach Guy Baker said, “we always have one game that we reach a low level and don’t play how we’re capable of playing.”

Sunday, the U.S. trailed Russia, 4-1, midway through the second quarter. But Brenda Villa scored two goals for the U.S., which scored five consecutive goals--including four in the third quarter--to take control.

Although the U.S. offense struggled, goalie Bernice Orwig, from Savanna High and Cypress College, had 14 saves to anchor the defense against Russia.

Former Marina High standout Robin Beauregard also scored a goal for the U.S., which opened the tournament with a 7-3 round-robin victory over Russia and also defeated the Netherlands this week.

“We know we can play with and beat the best teams in the world,” said U.S. captain Julie Swail, a Valencia High graduate who was named the UC Irvine women’s coach last month. “It’s just a matter of doing it at the right time, the right place and when it counts most.”

The U.S. team will train beginning next month and have two more tournaments before the Olympic qualifying tournament in Catania, Italy, April 22-29.