Laytos, Way, Fuchs Complete Argentina Series with USA Juniors
3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan sophomore Paige Laytos(Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS), freshman Meredith Way(Newmanstown, Pa./Warwick HS) and associate head coach Tracey Fuchs, along with the USA Field Hockey women's under-21 team, wrapped up a four-game series with Argentina's U21 squad. Both Wolverine players started each game of the series, which took place March 12-16 in Buenos Aires.
"The country was breathtaking," said Laytos. "It was great to see so much appreciation for the sport of field hockey. The Argentineans had a club area that was basically dedicated to field hockey, and it was nice to see so much involvement from both boys and girls. But my favorite aspect of the country was the weather. Playing against one the greatest U21 National teams was such an honor. It was amazing to see their skills and overall love for the game. As a team I felt we did a great job coming together for the first time as a team and to beat one of the best teams was such a great feeling. They were very hard tacklers and knew when to break the play up, and that is something I would really like to incorporate into my play."
Comprised of six high school athletes and 10 college underclassmen, the USA team posted a 1-3 record against Argentina U21. After losing its opener 4-2, the Red, White and Blue evened the series with a 2-0 victory on the second day of competition, using a goal in each half to roll past the host team. The Argentinean team took the final two contests after a rest day, both by a two-margin (4-2, 2-0). Argentina is internationally considered among the top countries for producing field hockey talent.
The tour was the first international experience for Way and the second for Laytos, who previously competed in the USA junior team's 2007 tour of China that featured series against the Chinese U21 team and a Shangai club team. Sixteen different Wolverine players have earned junior-team selection in the past, including nine during the last seven years.
"Playing abroad was a new experience for me," said Way. "This was my first time being outside the U.S., and it was amazing. Playing at the international level was such a huge step from collegiate level. The speed of the game was faster and that the skills the Argentineans had were very impressive. The whole society in Argentina is very different. The people there are all extremely active and the atmosphere is very friendly. For never really playing with each other before, our team connected very quickly, and we were able to give Argentina a good game every time we played. The overall experience was great and playing at such a high level helped to improve my skills tremendously."
Former Wolverine standout April Fronzoni also wrapped up a recent tour with the U.S. women's national team, competing in four of five games against the Japanese national team March 9-15. The American squad posted a 1-3-1 record, and Fronzoni scored the game-winning goal in USA's lone victory -- in fourth game of the series -- netting the deciding tally at the 60:00 mark.
Fronzoni, who was a three-time All-American during her tenure at Michigan (2000-03), is in her fifth year on the USA women's national team. She boasts 56 international caps and 14 international goals.
USA Field Hockey Site
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
