The USA men's national team competed a four game sweep of Pan Am rival Trinidad & Tobago with a 2-0 win in Saturday's series finale.
The USA won the first three games of the series 5-3, 4-2 and 1-0 as both teams prepare for this summer's Pan American Games tournament in Rio de Janeiro. The Pan Am Games serve as the continental qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Following a scoreless first half, Binh Hoang (Westlake, Calif.) and Jarred Martin (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) scored back-to-back goals early in the second half to give the USA a lead it would never relinquish as the U.S. defense held on for its second consecutive shutout victory.
Hoang and Martin finished the series as the team's leading scorers with three goals each. Seven different U.S. players combined for the team's 12 goals in the series.
The game also marked the 50th career international match for the USA's Pat Cota (Camarillo, Calif.).
With the win, the USA improved its record to 7-3-2 in its last 11 games against Pan Am opponents and secured a sweep over a higher rated opponent for the first time since the International Hockey Federation began its international ranking system in 2004. Trinidad and Tobago entered the series ranked in a tie at the 23rd position in the WorldHockey rankings, while the USA currently ranks 27th.
The USA men will now return home to compete in the USA National Championships, 1-6 May at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. The Championships serve as the selection opportunity to the 2007-08 U.S. National Squad and the Pan American Games team.
At the Pan Am Games, the USA and Trinidad & Tobago begin the tournament in opposite pools but could meet in crossover and classification games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final Pan Am standings take on added significance in 2007 with the 2nd-5th place teams earning spots in one of three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments scheduled for early 2008. The USA won a thrilling 3-2 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in the 2003 Pan American Games on Shawn Nakamura's golden goal late in the overtime period.
Source: USA Field Hockey
