Picking right up where they left off five years ago, the USA Women’s Goalball Team opened the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with a 6-4 victory over Brazil. The game was a rematch of the bronze-medal contest at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where the American squad also prevailed, 3-2.

Five of the six members of the U.S. team in Tokyo were part of that bronze-medal winning Rio squad, so the familiarity with their opponent was instrumental.

“It’s to our advantage to have a good, challenging team right off the bat to really push us and help focus us,” said six-time Paralympian Asya Miller (Portland, Ore.). “We’ve been waiting five years to get this party started, so that was a great way to do that. It’s kind of a relief to get that first game in and have a ‘W’.”

The difference in the game was penalties as the U.S. scored on three of the five penalty shots they attempted while playing penalty-free ball in their own end.

“We try to take care of the things that we’re in control of,” said U.S. Head Coach Jake Czechowski. “Although we try to play very aggressive offense, we also do that within the constraints of the rules, So we try to stay disciplined and limit our penalty situations.”

After Brazil opened the scoring, the U.S. went on a run of four straight tallies, including penalty-shot goals by Lisa Czechowski (Boonton, N.J.) and Eliana Mason (Beaverton, Ore.). The U.S. built a 4-2 lead at the break and traded goals in the second half. Brazil drew within 5-4 but Amanda Dennis (Peachtree City, Ga.) responded with her third goal of the game on a penalty shot to close out the scoring. Mason recorded two goals to go along with Czechowski’s one.

The U.S. Men’s team opens their preliminary round competition on Thursday against Brazil at 1:15 p.m. local time (12:15 a.m. EST), while the women return to the court on Friday to face Egypt.

GAME SCHEDULE:

USA Women’s Goalball:

Sept. 1: Quarterfinals

Sept. 2: Semifinals

Sept. 3: Medal matches

USA Men’s Goalball

Sept. 2: Semifinals

Sept. 3: Medal matches

Livestream the matches here: https://www.nbcolympics.com/schedule/sport/goalball/paralympics