If you tuned into the first and last minutes of today’s Rohrmax Cup gold-medal match being held in Vienna, Austria, you wouldn’t blame yourself if you thought you were watching The Reese D’Ariano Show, given the fact that the teen sensation scored the first and last goals for the United States senior women’s national indoor field hockey team in a 7-4 win over Belgium.
There were many, many moving parts for this U.S. team, whether it was Erin Matson’s deft passes in the midfield, Opal Sparling and Charly Bruder scoring some well-taken goals, or Abby Burnett’s defensive save off the line in the final term.
There is a lot for the U.S. to celebrate and digest in the month between the Rohrmax Cup and the FIH Indoor World Cup in Porec, Croatia. Head coach Jun Kentwell and her staff have some choices to make for the World Cup roster, especially given the fact that the U.S. outdoor team’s tour of New Zealand wraps up on January 23rd.
The U.S. women are in Pool A with host Croatia, Belgium, and Czechia, while fancied sides like Germany, Australia, and New Zealand are in Pool C, this tournament’s Group of Death. If the Eagles are able to qualify out of pool play (six points or two wins would likely suffice), the knockout rounds start February 7, with the semifinals and final on subsequent days.