PAHF: Leoncitas Reclaim Junior Pan Am Title As Chile Edge Uruguay For Bronze

July 12, 2024 – Surrey, British Columbia (Canada)

It was a fantastic finish to the seven days of competition at the 2024 Junior Pan American Championships in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada with Argentina beating the USA 3-1 in the gold-medal game to reclaim the top spot, last won by the Leoncitas in 2016. Earlier in the day Chile clung to a lone goal from Francisca Irazoqui in the third quarter to win bronze. All three medal-winning teams secure spots to the Junior World Cup in 2025. After the game, Argentina’s Valentina Ferola was named MVP, while USA’s Alyssa Klebasko was the top keeper. Catalina Stamati was the women’s top goal scorer finishing the tournament with seven goals. 

Gold: Argentina (3) – United States (1)

Argentina wasted little time putting USA on their heels. Two penalty corners early on gave Pilar Pisthon a chance to test Alyssa Klebasko in goal for the USA. The USA eased up after surviving a wave of Argentina attack but just as they sat back Lourdes Pisthon snuck to the back post and deflected in a smashing ball from Ariana Arias to make it 1-0. Argentina doubled the lead before the end of the first quarter after Ava Moore blocked a Pilar Pisthon drag flick but Victoria Falasco was there to tidy up and her back-hand beat Klebasko to make it 2-0. Against the rush the USA had two penalty corners, the first a nifty exchange at the top that found the ball back with injector, Daniela Mendez-Trendler, but Argentina keeper Mercedes Artola turned that away. Two minutes later the USA pulled out another back-pocket play as a ball to Hope Rose was blasted back to Mendez-Trender, who this time made no mistake beating Artola. With the lead cut in half, Argentina raced to the other end and Arias’ back hand blast was tipped in by Catalina Stamati but that goal was quickly reversed after a video referral. This left the USA in good position to be just one goal down heading into half time. 

The second half was still more Argentina as Abi Burnett steered away a Pilar Pisthon flick that was booked for the corner in the 35^th minute. The hill got a little steeper to climb late in the second quarter as Mia Shoenbeck was forced to sit with a yellow card for 10 minutes after a hard shoulder check to the head of an Argentina forward. Within that 10 minutes captain Hope Rose also went off with a green card and the USA nearly escaped before Ariana Arias’ blast to make it 3-2 just as Rose and Shoenbeck returned to the pitch. The United States pulled out more nifty variations on a series of penalty corner chances late in the fourth quarter but they could not muster anything past keeper Mercedes Artola. Argentina celebrated redemption back to the top of the podium after losing top spot in 2023 and 2021.

Bronze: Uruguay (0) – Chile (1) 

It was a stingy opening half of hockey for Uruguay and Chile, both wanting to have a good start after suffering emotional semifinal losses. Play was fairly even with both teams earning penalty corner chances but unable to really execute efficiently. The best chances of the game came in the final second moments of the second quarter. Uruguay captain Elisa Civetta was taken to ground just inside the Chilean 23-meter area and the Cimaroncitas were awarded a penalty corner. Civetta pulled the ball to her back-hand and fired a low ball past the far post where a wide open Agustina Díaz couldn’t connect. Straight back the other way Civetta’s challenge gave Chile a set piece chance but Uruguay did well to block it. The teams headed into half time scoreless, a fair result of their performance. 

The second half was much of the same with both teams stingy on defence. Uruguay started the third quarter strong with a much more purposeful way of moving the ball but missing the final touches in the attacking third, frustrated the Cimaroncitas. Against the flow Francisca Irazoqui sprung an attack down the right side for Josefina Gutierrez, who drew a penalty corner. Irazoqui finished to make it 1-0 and the Chileans sat on this lead. Uruguay pulled their goalkeeper with under three minutes to go but a yellow card to Milagros Seigal in the 59^th made the hill a little harder to climb. With no goalkeeper and down a field player, Uruguay were then faced with defending a penalty corner. Chile were unable to capitalize on the opportunity but did well to maintain possession in the corner and seal the bronze medal off Irazoqui’s goal. With the win, Chile will return to the Junior World Cup and celebrate a bronze medal for the second-straight year.  

Junior Pan American Championships – Major Awards

WOMEN

Top Goal Scorer: Catalina Stamati (ARG)

Most Valuable Player: Valentina Ferola (ARG)

Best Goal Keeper: Alyssa Klebasko (USA)