HOLIDAY CUP WATER POLO: AMERICANS EDGE CANADA.

Byline: Steve Irvine Staff Writer

LOS ALAMITOS - Sports logic says that championships are won on the defensive end. At least that's the sports logic according to U.S. national women's water polo team member Kathy Sheehy.

But it was two huge fourth-quarter offensive plays by Sheehy that lifted the United States to a 5-4 victory over Canada in the 2001 Holiday Cup championship game Sunday at the U.S. National Aquatics Center.

The first play came on the opening possession of the fourth period when Sheehy drew the attention of two defenders and got the ball to Amber Stachowski, who converted the point-blank opportunity to give the U.S. a 4-2 lead.

``That was probably the play of the game,'' said U.S. coach Guy Baker, whose team lost to Canada 5-4 in this year's tournament opener July 4 and beat the Canadians by the same score to win the 2000 Holiday Cup. ``(The pass) was there all game, it was just a good adjustment on Gubba's part.''

Canada countered 31 second laters on a second-chance opportunity by Susan Gardiner. But Sheehy built the lead to 5-3 on a two-meter goal with 5:40 remaining.

``We have a really good system,'' said Sheehy, one of 10 players returning from last summer's silver medalist in the Sydney Olympics. ``We go in at different times to make something happen. It just so happens I went in when everybody was tired.''

After that, it was up to goalkeeper Bernie Orwig and the U.S. defense to hold the advantage. Canada managed to cut the deficit in half with 4:43 left on a backhander from two meters by Johanne Begin. But that was the final goal Orwig would allow.

Orwig, who shares the position with Nicolle Payne and was in the goal for the Olympic semifinal and gold-medal game, blocked a backhand attempt by Cora Campbell with three minutes left and tipped the ball off the bar on a shot by wide open Josee Marsolais just 20 seconds later. Orwig, who finished with eight saves, also had a big stop with just less than a minute remaining.

--Italy 11, Netherlands 9: Italy scored the final two goals of the game to take home the third-place trophy.

--Greece 10, U.S. Juniors 7: The U.S. junior team pulled within a goal at 8-7 with 4:13 remaining on a man-advantage goal by Gabrielle Dominic. But the Greece countered with a goal 24 seconds later by Katerina Ikonomopoulo and got the final score with 1:59 for fifth place. Paraskevi Kazompoli led Greece with four goals and Thalia Monroe and Julie Gardner each had two goals for the junior team.