Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 19, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B4 winnipegfreepress. com Winnipeg Free Press, July 19, 2015 B4 T ORONTO - After a fourth consecutive straight- set victory, it's on to the Pan American Games beach volleyball semifinals for Winnipeg's Taylor Pischke. Before a packed house of about 5,000 supporters, the 22- year- old University of Manitoba student and her partner, Melissa Humana- Paredes of Toronto, cruised past Costa Ricans Natalia Alfaro and Karen Cope in the quarter- finals Saturday - 21- 12, 21- 12 in just 37 minutes. " It was hard because we had two days off and they had just played last night, so they were really fresh and really on their game," the six- footer said, referring to how the Canadians had a bye into the quarter- finals because they won their group while their opponents had to win an elimination game Friday to advance. " So we knew that we had to be focused all day yesterday and all day ( Saturday) and really come out and just execute our game plan. Stay focused and just take care of our side. And I think we did that." Pischke added looking back on the tournament so far, she's surprised at how her side has yet to drop a set. " I think we're just playing well and the results are taking care of themselves. But we can't really take that too lightly because ( today) is going to be another day." Pischke and Humana- Paredes will face their sternest test yet in today's semifinal against the Cuban pair Lianna Flores and Leila Martinez, who were among the pre- tournament favourites for a medal. " They're a really tough opponent, so we're ready for that," said Pischke, whose father, Garth, is the longtime coach of the University of Manitoba men's volleyball team and a two- time Olympian. " We've played them twice before and it's always been a battle, going three sets every time. So you can expect a really good game." Earlier Saturday, the Canadian men's tandem of Josh Binstock and Samuel Schachter were eliminated from medal contention after losing 21- 19, 26- 24 to Mexicans Rodolfo Ontiveros and Juan Virgin. That means it's now up to Pischke and Humana- Paredes to carry the Canadian flag in beach volleyball. " I try not to think about that too much," explained Pischke, who with her partner are ranked 17th in the world, following a placement of ninth at the recent world championship. " I started watching their game this afternoon, but I got too nervous so I had to shut it off. I wish that they would have won... but Mexico is a really good team so it's tough." No Canadian women's team has won a Pan American Games medal before, three times finishing fourth. Pischke said she's aware of that history, but is not spending much time thinking about it. " Hopefully we can get a medal and beat that record. But we're just focusing on ( today) and winning that match and then we'll put ourselves in a position to do it." TORONTO - Natalie Achonwa had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead Canada's women's basketball team to a 71- 68 victory over Cuba at the Pan American Games on Saturday, setting up a semifinal meeting with Brazil. Nirra Fields added 12 for the Canadians, who went a perfect 3- 0 through the preliminary round. Miranda Ayim had eight, while Kia Nurse finished with seven. Achonwa, a rookie with the WNBA's Indiana Fever, was making just her second appearance for Canada since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament last year in what would be her final game of a standout U. S. college career for Notre Dame. The Canadians took a 12- point lead into the fourth quarter, but Cuba used a 12- 2 run to pull to within two points with little more than four minutes to play. But when Miah- Marie Langlois found Achonwa alone under the basket for an easy two points, it put the Canada up by five with 2: 53 to play. Cuba's Leidys Oquendo was fouled on a three- point attempt with 12 seconds left but missed one of her free throws, allowing Tamara Tatham to secure the victory with a basket with six seconds remaining. A sold- out crowd of an estimated 3,300 fans - including men's team members Sim Bhullar and Jamal Murray and retired national team star Teresa Gabriele - took in the game at Ryerson's Mattamy Athletic Centre, making for one of the largest home crowds the Canadian women have played in front of. The Canadians trailed for the first time this tournament early in the opening quarter, but took a 20- 18 lead into the second, and a 40- 35 advantage into the dressing room at halftime. Canada shot just 2- for- 10 to open the third as Cuba pulled even at 45- 45 midway through the frame. But the Canadians dug in down the stretch and a rebound and bucket at the buzzer by Michelle Plouffe sent Canada into the fourth up 60- 48. The Canadians rolled over Venezuela 101- 38 in their opener before holding off Argentina 73- 58. The Cubans, meanwhile, beat Argentina 68- 55, then Venezuela 73- 62. Canada has never won basketball gold at the Pan Ams, on either the men's or women's side. The women have won one silver ( 1999 in Winnipeg) and three bronze. The Pan American Games is just one of two huge tournaments on home turf for the Canadian women this summer. They'll also play in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament next month in Edmonton. - The Canadian Press TORONTO - Canada started slow on Day 8 of the 2015 Pan American Games, but the host country rebounded and finished with a solid if unspectacular day. The men's softball team, cyclist Hugo Barrette and veteran swimmer Ryan Cochrane all won gold medals Saturday to add to Canada's impressive total. The softball team capped a slow afternoon for Canada with a 2- 1 win over Venezuela for its eighth consecutive Pan Am gold. Brad Ezekiel provided the heroics with a game- winning two- run home run to left- centre in the sixth inning. Pitcher Sean Cleary settled down after some early control issues and kept Venezuelan hitters off- balance until the seventh. He gave up a run then but held on. " We wanted to bring a swagger back to Canada and I think we've done that," head coach John Stuart said, adding it was particularly satisfying to win gold on home soil. " It's history. It's never been done before. That's something these guys can be very proud of." After the final out, Venezuelan players weren't happy about how the Canadians were celebrating and tempers briefly flared. " That's a shame. It put a damper on our celebration," Stuart said. " That's their problem to deal with. I don't know what happened. I was just trying to get our guys off the field to celebrate and enjoy the moment." Barrette continued Canada's dominance in track cycling, winning gold in the men's sprint. The native of Cap- aux- Meules, Que., swept Trinidad and Tobago's Njisane Phillip 2- 0 in the best- of- three final. Barrette clinched the victory with a perfectly executed slip move underneath to pass Phillip and take a lead he'd never relinquish. " I wanted the front, I took the front," he said. " I was confident, I wanted to win for the home crowd." Canada has five gold medals so far on the track at the velodrome in Milton, Ont. Canada closed out the swimming competition with four medals Saturday, including a gold for Victoria native Cochrane in the men's 1,500- metre freestyle. Cochrane set a new Pan Am record by winning in a time of 15 minutes 6.40 seconds. It's the second gold of the Games for Victoria native Cochrane, who won the men's 400 freestyle Friday. The women's 4x100 medley relay team took silver, while Sydney Pickrem earned a bronze medal in the women's 200 individual medley. The men's 4x100 relay added another bronze. Earlier, Lee Parkhill of Oakville, Ont., won bronze in the men's laser sailing, finishing the race with 12 points. Vancouver rhythmic gymnast Patricia Bezzoubenko won a bronze medal in the individual all- around competition, holding on to third place despite dropping the ribbon early in her final routine at the Toronto Coliseum. In wrestling, Arjun Gill of Quesnel, B. C., won silver in the men's 97- kilogram freestyle, and Tamerlan Tagziev won bronze in the men's 86- kg freestyle. - The Canadian Press Canadian women hold on, plot playoff course Basketball squad thrives in front of home crowd PHOTOS BY DARREN CALABRESE / THE CANADIAN PRESS Taylor Pischke and Melissa Humana- Paredes celebrate a point Saturday during quarter- final women's beach volleyball action against Costa Rica. CANADA 71 CUBA 68 ' Stay focused and just take care of our side,' Taylor Pischke of Winnipeg says was Canada's pre- game plan. Canucks roll into semis Winnipegger, partner face stern test today against Cuba By Ed Klajman Host side reels in three more gold Veteran Cochrane sets Games record in pool B_ 04_ Jul- 19- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B4 7/ 18/ 15 9: 44: 26 PM ;