The USA Women's National Team made an emphatic pre-Pan Am Games statement with a 1-0 win over world No. 2-ranked Argentina to capture the title at the Chile Four Nation Tournament.

Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.) scored a first half penalty corner and goalkeeper Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) and the USA defense shutout Argentina for the rest of the way to give the USA the victory.

The win comes as the teams finalize their preparations for July's Pan American Games which will determine the continent's automatic berth in next year's Olympic Games. The Pan Am Games are scheduled for 15-29 July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with Argentina earning the No. 1 seed and the USA seeded No. 2. Argentina has won all five previous women's field hockey gold medals at the Pan Am Games with the USA finishing second on four occasions.

The USA's win marked the team's second victory over its long time nemesis in the past 10 months. The USA earned a 2-1 win over Argentina at the AstroTurf March on Madrid Tournament in August for its first win over its South American neighbors since 1991. Argentina then reeled off three straight victories including a 2-1 win at the World Cup and a 6-2 victory earlier in round-robin play at the Chile Four Nation Tournament before the USA victory in the tournament final.

Argentina placed third at lat year's World Cup while the USA equaled its second-best World Cup finish with a 6th place showing.

The two teams are not scheduled to meet again until a possible meeting in the crossover or classification rounds of the eight-team Pan American Games tournament.

Next up for the USA, head coach Lee Bodimeade will send a split squad to the Champions Challenge, 9-17 June in Baku, Azerbaijan with China, England, Korea, New Zealand and host Azerbaijan. The USA women will then return home to compete in the U.S. National Championship, 17-24 June where the 2007-08 National Team will be announced.

Source: USA Field Hockey