U.S. Captures Gold at Pan American Games

TORONTO – Two days after securing qualification to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the United States women's national field hockey team toppled Argentina, the third-ranked team in the world, by a 2-1 score to claim the gold at the 2015 Pan American Games. Former Blue Devil Stefanie Fee and current Duke goalkeeper Lauren Blazing both received medals as members of the squad.

"It's an important moment for the program," said U.S. women's head coach Craig Parnham. "It was important for us to perform well and try to win this tournament and qualify for the Olympics out right. It has been a great few weeks for us here. The girls have done a terrific staying disciplined through their time in Toronto which can be difficult. We're delighted to get the result tonight."

In Friday evening's final at the Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields, the U.S. defensive unit remained strong against a pair of early Argentina penalty corner opportunities. Fee made a vital stick save later in the half to keep the score at 0-0 midway through the contest.

Team USA capitalized on a series of three penalty corners coming out of the intermission to tally the game's first goal, and later extended that lead to 2-0 on a strike by Michelle Vittese. Argentina broke through in the 58th minute but the U.S. was able to close out the contest with the one-goal margin.

The goal scored by Argentina was the first conceded by the U.S. in six contests at the Pan American Games.

With the first-place finish at the Pan American Games, Team USA confirmed its direct invitation to next summer's Olympic Games.

Fee has been a defender on the national team since graduating from Duke in 2011 while Blazing was first named to the national team in 2014-15 and was tabbed to the Pan American Games roster as a reserve goalkeeper.

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