YALE’S FREEDMAN EARNS GOLD

Greenwich’s Julia Freedman, a rising sophomore forward for the Yale field hockey team earned a gold medal playing for the United States at the 21st World Maccabiah Games in Israel. The U.S. defeated Argentina in the gold medal game at Safari Ramat Gan Field, with Freedman scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout.

The U.S. went 3-1 in the round-robin portion of the competition, beating Australia, Israel and the Netherlands but falling to Argentina. The U.S. avenged that loss in dramatic fashion in the gold medal game, beating Argentina in a shootout after the teams were tied 2-2 after double overtime. Freedman delivered the game-winner, firing her shot into the upper left corner and touching off a huge celebration.

“The Maccabiah Games was an amazing experience not only to play field hockey, but also to connect with the larger Jewish community,” Freedman told Yalebulldogs.com. “It was an honor to be picked for the team and represent the United States. I’ve gotten a taste of international play from my teammates at Yale, but the games presented me with the unique opportunity to compete internationally. It was incredibly rewarding to win gold, especially after losing to Argentina initially. It took a lot of grit, but our team really came together in the end.”

Freedman was one of 18 athletes selected for the Open Women’s Field Hockey team for Team USA. She was joined by her twin sister, Sophie Freedman, who plays for Penn.

Freedman appeared in 16 games for Yale this past season. She is a graduate of Greenwich Academy and played for AG Hockey Club.

The World Maccabiah Games take place every four years and are the world’s third-largest international sporting event, with 10,000 athletes this year — representing 80 nations in more than 40 sports. The principal mission of the Maccabiah, per the event’s website, is “to facilitate a worldwide gathering of young Jewish athletes in Israel, staging the highest possible levels of sports competitions, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”