GWANGJU, South Korea – July 11, 015- Team USA (5-1) advanced to the semifinals of the 2015 World University Games with a thrilling 11-9 win over France (4-3) on July 11 at the Yeomju Indoor Aquatics Center.

Attackers Ryder Roberts and Jack Fellner each scored three goals to lead the Americans past France.

Roberts got Team USA on the board first with a power play goal (6:12) and then scored from the front court to put the Americans up 2-0 (4:41). Then 28-year-old attacker Manuel Laversanne scored from the front court to trim the lead to 2-1 (3:10). Center Alec Zwaneveld scored a goal at two meters off a feed from Jack Grover to push the lead to 3-1 (2:45). But another 28-year-old attacker from France, Alexandre Camarasa, scored a power play goal (2:29) to cut it to 3-2. USA led 4-2 at the end of the first period after Fellner scored on a 6-on-5 opportunity (1:52).

Team USA struck first to open the second period when Fellner took a feed from Maxwell Irving and found the back of the net to push the lead to 5-2 (6:46). Camarasa scored his second of the match to cut the lead to 5-3 (5:36) and then Michal Izdinsky ended the scoring in the second with a power play goal (1:34) to cut USA’s lead to 5-4 at the break.

The U.S. returned to form and won the third period, 3-2. Chancellor Ramirez scored a power play goal to push the lead to 6-4 (4:45) but France cut it to 6-5 (2:38) when another 28-year-old attacker, Mehdi Marzouki, scored from distance. Roberts completed a hat trick on a 6-on-5 opportunity to extend the lead to 7-5 (2:07). Then Marzouki converted a penalty shot to trim the lead to 7-6 (0:38). But Zwaneveld took a nice feed from defender Anthony Daboub and found the back of the net to end the scoring in the third with USA leading 8-6 (0:11).

The thrilling fourth began with France scoring a power play goal on its first possession to trim the lead to 8-7 (7:19). But Grover found America’s 18-year-old attacker, Spencer Farrar, for a power play strike to push the lead back to two at 9-7 (6:25). Izdinsky scored his second goal of the match (4:23) and Mathias Bachelier netted a power play goal to tie the score at 9-9 with 1:41 remaining. But the U.S. remained undaunted while France lost its cool. France was issued a red card after Fellner took an elbow to the face. He got cleaned up, reentered the pool, and delivered the ultimate game-winner on the ensuing power play (1:03). Center Matt Farmer provided an insurance goal with 0:15 to go to provide the 11-9 final.

Alex Wolf started in the cage for Team USA and went the distance, making 12 saves, stopping 12 of France’s 21 shots (57.2%), including registering saves on 3-of-7 French power plays.

The United States was highly efficient on power plays, going 6-for-7, while France was 4-for-9. The French converted the only penalty shot of the game.

Team USA advances to the semifinals of the World University Games, where it will face the defending FISU champions, Hungary (6-0-1), on Sunday, July 12 at 8:00 p.m. local time (4:00 a.m. on July 12 PDT).

NOTES: UCLA’s Gordon Marshall led Australia with a hat trick but the Aussies lost to Serbia, 10-8, in other quarterfinal action.

USA vs. France (World University Games Quarterfinals)

	1	2	3	4	F
France	2	2	2	3	9
USA	4	1	3	3	11

France Goals: Mehdi Marzouki 3, Michal Izdinsky 2, Alexandre Camarasa 2, Manuel Laversanne 1, Mathias Bachelier 1
France Saves: Billy Noyon 6

USA Goals: Ryder Roberts 3, Jack Fellner 3, Alec Zwaneveld 2, Chancellor Ramirez 2, Matt Farmer 1, Spencer Farrar 1
USA Saves: Alex Wolf 12