On August 3rd and 4th, 2013 the United States hosted a women’s indoor hockey series with Canada. The teams played three matches under the new FIH indoor rules. The event opened with a 4-4 draw. In the second match of the series, the United States came away with a dominating 7-1 victory. In the final match, Canada came back stronger defensively in the final match, but it was the United States with the 4-2 victory. Thus, United States finished the series with two wins over Canada.
Event quotes
United States’ Coach Denise Zelenak
“I was very pleased with the squad’s performance in the CanAm Series. Overall I was impressed by how quickly everyone adjusted to the new 5's format and rules. The changes made for a lot of exciting play and showcased the players skills and transitional speed, both offensively and defensively. This was another positive step forward for the program and gets us closer to our goal of winning the 2014 Pan American Cup.”
United States’ Captain Kimberly Tunell
“The CanAm series was a tremendous success for our squad. Not only were the individual outcomes of the matches exciting, but the development of our squad throughout the series was great. It was amazing to be able to play in front of our home crowd and it seemed like the new format really engaged the spectators. Being able to play against Canada early on in the transition from six to five players has given us a great building block as we prepare for the Pan American Cup.”
Canada’s Coach Louis Mendonca
"With the program just getting off the mark in its preparation for the Indoor Pan Am cup, it was great opportunity to get some valuable learning’s playing 5 vs. 5; these specific elements will be valuable when we design our training plan moving forward. This new version of the sport changes the sport drastically and playing a tough opponent like the USA was essential for the growth of our program."
Canada’s Captain Azelia Liu
"It was a great opportunity for the Canadian squad to familiarize and compete under the new 5 on 5 rules. Playing against the US was an invaluable experience for a young group. It is very difficult to get high quality opponents domestically. This is obviously only one part of our preparation and we know we have some homework to do leading up to the Pan Am Cup. This series was a huge milestone for many of the Canadian girls who played and celebrated their first international match for Canada - this is always an exciting moment - it was great to share that with them."
Source: Pan American Hockey Federation
