Aug. 3, 1999

WINNIPEG, Canada - Cavalier All-American Michelle Vizzuso (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) started tonight in the Americans' final game in pool play and the USA Field Hockey team shut out Chile 2-0 to advance to the gold medal game on Wednesday.

In the third consecutive shutout and the fifth of the tournament for the Americans, the USA was itself shut out for the first half against winless Chile (0-4-2). But the USA's Kate Barber and Kris Fillat both found the cage in the second half and the defense held strong, sending the USA to the gold medal game for the second consecutive Pan Am Games.

Of note is that the Argentine team will be without the services of top defender Cecelia Rognoni, who was ejected from the tournament following a ball-throwing incident. The winner of the Pan American Games will receive an automatic berth into the Olympic Games in 2000.