Gold medalists and four-year WVU Mountaineers Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence kicked off their games in Paris with a victory on Thursday.
After allowing the first goal of the game from New Zealand, Team Canada scored one goal just before halftime and one in the 79th minute to pull ahead and win its first game of the 2024 Summer Games.
Buchanan and Lawrence both started for Team Canada in the victory. The pair has both 2016 bronze medals and 2020 gold medals with Team Canada and both have been named Canadian Player of the Year for a combined four times.
Both former Mountaineers played well in the victory, with Buchanan providing a strong defensive force and Lawrence putting the pressure on with multiple shots on goal and set-ups for her teammates for good opportunities. Lawrence led the charge at halfback for the final goal of the game, passing for the assist from Prince to Cloe Lacasse.
With the victory, Team Canada has won its first of three Group A matches. The next will be against France on Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m. ET. Canada must finish in the top two of its four-team group to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Photo by Mark Blinch, Canadian Olympic Committee
