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June 24, 2013 — U-14 Final: Vancouver 3, Calgary 1
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Long-time field hockey fans won’t know the name Mayv Clune, a rising freshman at Bethlehem Moravian Academy (Pa.). But they’ll know her mother, former U.S. international Diane Bracalente. The former ODU star, who won three national championships with the Monarchs, retired after the 1988 Olympics and started a family.
And that family had a hand in the result of the U-14 championship final at the National Futures Tournament. Mayv Clune had the opener for Team Vancouver in the opening two minutes of the final, and rode that momentum to a 3-1 victory over Calgary in the gold-medal match. Her quickness and a majestic touch gave Calgary problems all day long on defense.
But as per usual, there was a another subtext to the game. In the second half, the goalkeepers for both teams — Skylar Limpert for Vancouver and Taylor Henriksen for Calgary — made a series of stops that wowed the assembled crowd at the National Training Center.
It all started about five minutes into the second half, when Calgary had a penalty corner chance to tie the game. On the shot, Limpert stopped a long shot and, with sticks whisking in the vicinity, made a strong clear over the sideline.
Five minutes later, Henriksen, while falling down, managed to get her blocker on a bouncing Vancouver corner shot. A subsequent break saw Henriksen make a series of three saves off another Clune-led break.
“Once I got to know my teammates, the communication got a lot better,” Henriksen said. “I’m really excited that we got a medal.”
Limpert, on the other end of the pitch, had more to do, withstanding several last-minute thrusts by Calgary including a hard shot in the dying seconds.
“We bonded as a team, and came together to win,” said Limpert, who survived a penalty stroke shootout in the semifinal round in order to make the final. “The offense was trying to figure out what the plan to keep us at the other end of the field, but after a while, the offenses figured out what to do.”
FULL TIME The final horn sounds, and Calgary wins the U-14 championship
49:00 Last Calgary thrust is turned aside by Limpert
47:00 Donahue can’t quite find the range for Calgary
46:00 Mackenzie Karl has a long drive saved by Limpert
42:00 VAN PC and GOAL Claire Donovan flicks it in; but did the ball change directions in mid-air? Vancouver is now in command with a 3-1 lead
41:00 Not to be outdone, Limpert makes a sliding stop for Vancouver to preserve the goal advantage!
40:30 Vancouver runs a break and Henriksen makes three 10-bell saves on open shots; she’ll be tough to beat this half
35:15 VAN PC Bouncing shot is somehow parried away by a prone Taylor Henriksen! What a stop!
30:30 CAL PC Mackenzie Allessie’s low shot is saved by Skylar Limpert; rebound cleared!
28:45 VAN PC Clune’s driven ball is whistled down for being dangerous
26:45 Clune, storming up the right flank, is caught between two minds and shanks her shot well wide
26:30 CAL PC defenses by Emma Tamer, who starts a snowbird in the other direction
25:30 CAL GOAL Ella Donahue pulls one back off the jailbreak and makes the score 2-1 Vancouver
25:00 The second half is under way
HALFTIME The game seemed to change with Vancouver’s second goal; will Calgary be able to overcome?
HALFTIME As was the case yesterday, the Vancouver attack was generated through Mayv Clune, who seemed to have all day to generate opportunities in the final third
HALFTIME At the horn, Vancouver leads 2-0
24:15 CAL GREEN Callie Goodman’s hold evens the sides
23:15 VAN GREEN Emily Clarke is off for two minutes for holding
18:00 VAN PC and GOAL Clune’s drag flick is saved and the rebound appears to go off a Vancouver foot, but the ball finds the off wing where it is batted in; Vancouver leads 2-0, but Calgary has to feel hard-done on the umpire’s decision
9:30 Clune is in on goal and executes a neat move to beat the keeper, but the ball rolls wide
2:00 VAN GOAL Meghan Fahey finishes a 4-on-2 breakaway led by Mayv Clune; it was all to do for Fahey’s finish, but she gives Vancouver a 1-0 lead
0:00 The game is on
PREGAME Calgary is in the white with red numbers, while Vancouver is in the red with white trim
PREGAME The teams are warming up under overcast skies with the temperature hovering around 74 degrees. Any rain should hold off until mid-day
PREGAME Calgary got to this game with a 2-0 win over St. Louis in yesterday afternoon’s semi, while Vancouver had to go to the sixth round of a penalty-stroke shootout after a goalless draw in its semifinal
PREGAME Hello and welcome to the U-14 National Futures Tournament final between Vancouver and Calgary
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