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USABA Athletes Haul In Medals
Source: www.usaba.org (United States Ass. of Blind Athletes)
BEIJING, China--The U.S. Women's Goalball Team
consisting of Jen Armbruster (Colorado Springs, Colo.),
Lisa Banta (Boonton, N.J.), Asya Miller
(Lapeer, Mich.), Robin Theryoung (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Jessica Lorenz (Berkley, Calif.) and Jackie
Barnes (Wadsworth, Ill.) beat Denmark in sudden death overtime to play
China for the gold.
The U.S. team then beat China, 6-5, in a sold-out
Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium to win the gold medal.
The game between USA and Denmark went into two
overtime periods tied 3-3 at the end of regulation. Winning the coin toss, the
U.S. team elected to throw the first ball. Neither team was able to score
during the first three minutes, going into another three-minute overtime
period.
Asya Miller (Lapeer, Mich.) threw
the winning ball ending the game in sudden death, 4-3.
Then came the very competitive Team China in the
gold medal game. Asya Miller carried the United States to a
gold medal in the Paralympic Women's Goalball competition with a six-goal haul.
The two games went goal-for-goal right up to the end, with the deficit never
being more than one goal. It came down to literally the final minute of play
when Miller found the back of the net with a devastating cross-court throw to
give the United States the lead with 49 seconds left.
It was then a question of defense and the United
States was able to hang on and go one better than its silver medal in
Athens.
"I've played in four Paralympics prior to coming to
Beijing, this game was a continuation of the unfinished business in Athens where
we won silver; winning the gold tonight is finishing what we started four years
ago," said Jen Armbruster, (Colorado Springs, Colo.), U.S.
team captain.
"The U.S team was ready, and it showed tonight,"
said head coach Ken Armbruster (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
"Tonight was like a boxing match, hitting and countering for 10-20 minutes, we
were fortunate, we got the last punch in."
The coaching staff includes Ken
Armbruster (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Sharon
Gunderman (Dubois, Pa.) with support staff including
Gwyneth Short (Lakewood, Colo.) and Lou
Tompson (Landrum, S.C.).
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