Jennifer Armbruster was named to the International Goalball Classic All-Tournament Team and the U.S. finished with the silver medal at the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham this weekend.

“Canada was just better than us today,” said U.S. head coach Ken Armbruster (Colorado Springs, Colo.).  “I give a lot of credit to [Canadian center] Amy Alsop. She had a bad game against us on Saturday and today she came in, stepped up her game and played great.”

The U.S. entered Sunday’s gold medal game with an undefeated record in the IGC, which included a win over Canada in pool play on Saturday. Canada came out looking for revenge in the final. A goal by Annette Lisabeth just two minutes into the game gave Canada an early 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Nancy Morin dribbled a goal past the U.S. defense to put Canada up 2-0. The U.S. struck back with a goal by Lisa Banta (Boonton, N.J.) and ended the first half trailing by only one goal, 2-1. But, Morin hit right back coming out of the break and just 40 seconds into the second half she knocked in the second of her three goals, giving Canada a 3-1 lead. Canada’s defense held the U.S. scoreless for the entire second half and the Canadians went on to win gold by a score of 4-1.

“If you give up three goals at this level, it’s awfully tough to win a game,” said Armbruster.  “Defense is so important to winning games and our girls know that too.  As we move forward our defense is going to have to improve.”

In the bronze medal match, China showed off its offensive game with a strong 5-1 win over Denmark.  Ruixue Wang and Fengqing Chen each scored two goals and Shan Lin scored one goal for the Chinese.  Maria Larsen scored the lone goal for Denmark. 

The All-Tournament Team, voted on by players and officials, for the inaugural International Goalball Classic included Canada’s Morin and Alsop, Jen Armbruster (Birmingham, Ala.) of the U.S. and China’s Fengqing Chen.

Goalball is a Paralympic sport played by athletes who are blind and visually impaired. Developed after WWII as a way to keep blinded veterans physically active, it has become the premier team sport for athletes who are blind and visually impaired. Played competitively by men and women, it is a very fast paced, physically challenging, strategic and exciting game.

About Lakeshore Foundation, an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site
Lakeshore Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with physical disabilities through fitness, recreation, and athletics.  These programs help children and adults with physical disabilities maintain healthy and active lifestyles, as well as develop stronger self-esteem and improve independent living skills.  The United States Olympic Committee designated Lakeshore Foundation an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site in 2003.  Along with the nation’s other Olympic Training Sites, Lakeshore Foundation plays a critical role in the success of U.S. athletes.  For more information, visit www.lakeshore.org.