EYES ON LONDON:
Love of the game

[August 02, 2012]  LONDON (AP) -- Among those in the crowd Thursday for the U.S. vs. Australia women's hockey game: an NCAA referee and a family that cut short their vacation to see the game.

Sandie Inglis, an NCAA referee since 1990, waved her American flag high before settling into her seat. She views the game far more in-depth than the casual fan. "The turf is very fast, and at the international level, you expect to see finer skills, and execution with speed and great control," Inglis says.

She was seated next to the Matousek family from Wilmette, Ill. They'd been vacationing in Paris when they learned they could get tickets to field hockey, a game both their teenage daughters play.

"It's fast paced and it's fun, but I think it's more fun to play than watch," said 15-year-old Nicole.

Glimpse the hockey pitch here: http://bit.ly/NnMgFH

--Jenna Fryer
http://twitter.com/jennafryer

NOTE -- "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

[Associated Press]

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