Aug. 21, 2008

BEIJING, China - A trio of former California All-Americans earned silver medals in the second week of competition at the 2008 Summer Games on Thursday. Vicky Galindo earned a silver medal with the USA softball team, while Heather Petri and Elsie Windes garnered silver with the USA women's water polo team.

In softball, Japan denied the Americans their fourth straight gold medal (in Olympic competition) since the 2000 games with a 3-1 win, behind a solid pitching performance by Yukiko Ueno. Team USA never led and made two uncharacteristic errors in the seventh inning to help the Japanese add an important insurance run. Caitlin Lowe grounded to third for the final out, after Galindo led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single.

In what might have been the final game for the sport of softball in Olympic competition, the U.S. certainly left its mark, dominating the sport since its Olympic debut in 1996. The International Olympic Committee voted to drop softball in 2006.

USA's water polo team fell one goal short in the gold medal game to the Netherlands, by a score of 9-8 at the Ying Tung Natatorium. Petri and Windes both earned starting nods, but neither scored (a combined 0-for-5 on shots on goal).

The Netherlands started out strong with a four-shot lead in the first quarter, before the Americans stormed back to knot the score at 5-5 at the end of the second quarter.

This was Team USA's first gold-medal game since the 2000 Olympics, and the third consecutive medal in Olympic competition - something no other women's water polo team has accomplished.

In men's field hockey, Cal volunteer assistant coach and Canada assistant Peter Milkovich watched as Canada lost to Belgium, 3-0, in the ninth-place game to end its Olympic run with a 1-4-1 record.