The United States women’s water polo team grabbed an early lead against Canada in the quarterfinal match and never looked back, trouncing the Canadians 16-5 to move on to the semifinals.
Maggie Steffens led the way with three goals. Steffens broke the Olympic all-time scoring record in the final preliminary match and continued that momentum into the quarterfinals.
Makenzie Fischer and Alys Williams also had three goals, while Maddie Musselman and Aria Fischer each added two. Goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson was fantastic in net, saving 14 of 17 shots before Amanda Longan took over late in the game, making three saves on five shots.
It was Steffens who got the scoring going early, with two goals in the first two minutes to kickstart the offense. That propelled the Americans to a quick 7-1 lead in the first quarter. That lead was built to 11-3 by the end of the first half.
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Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the U.S. added onto their lead in the fourth to finish the match with a 16-5 victory.
The United States advances to the semifinals, where it will face the winner of the Australia-ROC quarterfinal. That match is set for Thursday, Aug. 5 at 6:50 a.m. ET. That match can be streamed here.
