July 17, 2004

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - George Mason's adventures in Europe ended on a very positive note as the Patriots captured the 2004 Prague Cup championship Saturday at the SK Slavia Praha (Sport Club Slovenia Prague) athletic fields in Prague. The tournament, which was held Wednesday through Saturday, July 14-17, featured five teams, and also offered a four-team Prague Cup Teen Tournament.

Mason (3-1-0) ended the tournament with six points and finished in a three-way tie for first with Czech Republic A (3-1-0) and USA Athletes International (3-1-0) teams. Goal differential was used to break the tie and the Patriots were awarded the trophy based on their plus-7 goal outcome. Czech A placed second at negative-2, while the USA team finished third with negative-5. The team from the United Kingdom (1-3-0) placed fourth and Czech Republic B was fifth.

George Mason started strong Wednesday in its first game of the Prague Cup, disposing of the Czech Republic B team by a score of 17-2. Mason led 8-2 at the 19:33 mark of the first half and took a 10-2 lead into halftime. The Patriots dominated the second period, outscoring Czech B 7-0 en route to the 17-2 final. Thirteen of Mason's 17 goals were assisted. Lisa Hagan (2001-04) dished out three assists and added a goal. Senior Jeannine Ohler posted a goal and two assists, while Kristen Olson (2000-04) added a goal and an assist. Sophomores Alex Velesz and Jess Shelton each contributed one and two scores, respectively. Junior Michele Brady tallied one marker. Senior Meg Dentler made nine saves and the Patriots out shot Czech B, 49-11.

Mason was scheduled to compete against the USA team later that afternoon, but NCAA regulations prevented the contest from taking place. Therefore, the USA squad was awarded a 1-0 win over the Patriots, giving Mason (5-1) its first loss in Europe.

Thursday pitted the Patriots against the Czech A team. The two squads played well on both ends of the fields, but Mason managed to pull away with a 15-7 win. Neither team got on the board until the 10th minute following a goal by Mason. Leading 2-0 a minute later, the Czech A squad answered at 14:51 to trim the margin to 2-1. Czech A tied the match on one occasions at 4-4 (20:43), but the Patriots notched a 4-1 goal advantage over the final 10 minutes of the half to take an 8-5 lead into the intermission. Mason pulled away in the second frame, scoring five unanswered markers to begin the half and went on to post the 15-7 victory. Junior Robyn Yeatman registered two goals and two assists in the win. Senior Brandi Evans chipped in two goals, as did junior Jen Thomas. Stacy Berger (2001-04) recorded one goal, while sophomore Melissa Curry had an assist. Dentler made 12 saves and the Patriots out shot Czech A, 34-28.

With its loss to the USA team earlier in the tournament, Mason needed a win against the UK team to remain in contention for the trophy heading into Saturday's final day of competition. The team responded with a barrage of goals, overwhelming the UK squad by a score of 23-3. Mason, who cruised to a 11-0 lead in the first 16 minutes, didn't allow a shot until the 8:16 mark of the first half and didn't allow a goal until 20:33. The Patriots led 13-1 at halftime and outscored the UK team 10-2 in the second frame. Sixteen of Mason's 23 goals were assisted. Senior Tracy Waterson registered four goals. Sophomore Deona Donahue rattled off three scores and teammate Becky Lee posted one goal and two assists. Junior Sarah Bryant connected on a goal and an assist and senior Amanda Thornburg aided the defensive effort with three ground balls, one caused turnover and one draw control. Senior Kristy Manas led Mason with five assists and added a score, while sophomore Melissa Venturi tied for game-high honors with four goals and had one assist. Dentler made five saves and the Patriots out shot the UK team, 40-8.

The final game of the tournament witnessed the Czech A squad defeat the USA team by two goals, resulting in the three-way tie. At the closing ceremony, most valuable player honors were awarded to two players from each team. George Mason's honorees were Manas and Curry, who each received a certificate of this acknowledgement.

Box Scores

George Mason       10-7=17
Czech Republic B   2-0=2

George Mason       8-7=15
Czech Republic A   5-2=7

George Mason       13-10=23
United Kingdom     1-2=3