U.S. U-19 WOMEN: Kia McNeill scores four, Kerri Hanks nets three in American romp

• by Soccer America , May 29, 2004

Kia McNeill, returning to the front line, found the net four times, and Kerri Hanks scored a hat trick in the first 21 minutes as the U.S. womenÆs under-19 team destroyed the Dominican Republic, 14-0, Friday night in an opener at the CONCACAF U-19 Qualifying Tournament in Canada.

Megan Rapinoe came off the bench to score two second-half goals as the Americans thrilled a partisan crowd of 500 at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa by scoring 10 goals in the first 45 minutes.

The Americans outfired the Dominicans, 32-1, opening a two-goal by the fourth minute and a 6-0 advantage by the 21st, and scoring three times in the final three minutes of the first half.

æÆThe players came out and secured the result we were looking for in the first half,ÆÆ U.S. coach Mark Krikorian said. æÆIÆm happy with the way they played attacking soccer from the opening whistle and took control of the match.ÆÆ

Rachel Buehler, Yael Averbuch, Stephanie Kron, Stacy Lindstrom and Alexa Orand also scored goals for the U.S. women, who head to Montreal to face Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday and Costa Rica on Tuesday in Group B play.

Costa Rica beat T&T, 4-1, in Montreal as Karla Villalobos scored twice, including an 81st-minute goal that gave the Ticas a two-goal lead.

Canada and Mexico handily won Group A openers. The hosts shut out Jamaica, 4-0, as Aysha Jamani scored twice and Josee Belanger and Kara Lang added goals. Mexico got a hat trick from Monica Ocampo and goals from University of the Pacific standout Carmen Padilla and Alexandra Mendoza in a 5-1 win over Panama.

The winners of next FridayÆs semifinals in Montreal will qualify for the Nov. 10-27 FIFA U-19 WomenÆs World Championship in Thailand.

Lindstrom, a 6-footer who dominated play in midfield, and Angie Woznuk, who departed in the 32nd minute, each contributed two assists apiece.

The Americans put 28 shots on target, and Dominican goalkeeper Heydi Salazar made 14 saves, several of the spectacular variety. U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris faced little work, called upon only to scoop up Denny DominguezÆs 79th-minute shot, which was rolling wide left.

McNeill, a forward whom Krikorian had converted into a center back, scored in the 16th minute (finishing a Woznuk throughball), and in the 19th (taking a pass from Orand up the flank, cutting inside to shoot), 44th (rebound of an Averbuch shot) and 62nd (through ball from Buehler).

Hanks scored in the third minute after pressuring a Dominican defender into giving up the ball. Buehler finished a long throw-in from Lindstrom a minute later, and Hanks got her second in the 14th, racing in alone on goalkeeper Heydi Salazar after a defender whiffed on LindstromÆs header toward the Dominican goal.

HanksÆ third, a nifty backheel after letting the ball split her legs, came from Woznuk in the 21st.

Averbuch ripped a 20-yard shot just inside the right post from a Hanks rebound in the 36th minute, and Kron, McNeill and Lindstrom scored in succession at the end of the half.

Rapinoe scored off passes from Nikki Krzysik in the 52nd and McNeill in the 66th minutes, and she set up OrandÆs 87th-minute finale.

The United States finished with 10 players after Krikorian pulled off McNeill with about 10 minutes to play.

U.S. SUMMARY
Friday, May 28 at Ottawa

United States 14 Dominican Republic 0. Goals: Hanks 3, 4, 21, Buehler 4, McNeill 16, 19, 44, 62, Averbuch 36, Kron 43, Lindstrom 45, Rapinoe 52, 66, Orand 87.

United States -- Harris; Logterman, Buehler, Sauerbrunn, Lopez; Lindstrom, Averbuch, Orand; Woznuk (Kron, 32; Krzysik, 46); McNeill, Hanks (Rapinoe, 46).

Dominican Republic -- Salazar; Lorenzo, Rodriguez, Guzman, Diaz (Fernandez, 74), Hernandez (Rosalo, 46); Dominguez, Frias, Santana, Vaerio; Uribe (Peralta, 46).

Yellow cards: None.

Referee: Maria Cecibel Ortega (El Salvador).

Att: 500.

GROUP A
W L T GF-GA Pts
Mexico 1 0 0 5-1 3
Canada 1 0 0 4-0 3
Panama 0 1 0 1-5 0
Jamaica 0 1 0 0-4 0

Friday, May 28
At Ottawa
Mexico 5 (Mendoza 40, Ocampo 44, 69, 85, Padilla 48) Panama 1 (own goal 45)
At Montreal
Canada 4 (Belanger 25, Jamani 62, 74, Lang 68) Jamaica 0

Sunday, May 30 (at Ottawa)
Mexico vs. Jamaica
Canada vs. Panama

Tuesday, June 1 (at Ottawa)
Jamaica vs. Panama
Canada vs. Mexico

GROUP B
W L T GF-GA Pts
United States 1 0 0 14-0 3
Costa Rica 1 0 0 4-1 3
Trinidad & Tobago 0 1 0 1-4 0
Dominican Republic 0 1 0 0-14 0

Friday, May 28
At Ottawa
United States 14 (Hanks 3, 4, 21, Buehler 4, McNeill 16, 19, 44, 62, Averbuch 36, Kron 43, Lindstrom 45, Rapinoe 52, 66, Orand 87) Dominican Republic 0
At Montreal
Costa Rica 4 (Villalobos 4, 81, Mendoza 19, Esquivel 91+) Trinidad & Tobago 1 (Mollon 64)

Sunday, May 30 (at Montreal)
Costa Rica vs. Dominican Republic
United States vs. Trinidad & Tobago

Tuesday, June 1 (at Montreal)
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Dominican Republic
United States vs. Costa Rica

Semifinals: June 4 at Montreal
Final/Third: June 6 at Ottawa

GOALSCORERS
Kia McNeill, U.S. 4
Kerri Hanks, U.S. 3
Monica Ocampo, Mexico 3
Aysha Jamani, Canada 2
Megan Rapinoe, U.S. 2
Karla Villalobos, Costa Rica 2
Yael Averbuch, U.S. 1
Josee Belanger, Canada 1
Rachel Buehler, U.S. 1
Amanda Esquivel, Costa Rica 1
Stephanie Kron, U.S. 1
Kara Lang, Canada 1
Stacy Lindstrom, U.S. 1
Alexandra Mendoza, Mexico 1
Kandy Mendoza, Costa Rica 1
Ahkeela Mollon, Trin. & Tobago 1
Alexa Orand, U.S. 1
Carmen Padilla, Mexico 1

ATTENDANCE
Total: 900 (450 average)
Ottawa: 500 (500 average)
Montreal: 400 (400 average)