The soccer mom has become a well-known American institution. Patti Niccum of Simi Valley is the perfect example of the soccer mom's lesser-known counterpart, the field hockey mom.

Niccum spent the weekend on the sidelines of the 36th California Cup at Moorpark College, cheering on her family of field hockey players.

Patti herself played "until my goalie took me out," injuring both her knees. The goalie was her husband, Mark, who won third place with the Moorpark Coyotes in the men's competitive division on Monday.

Daughters Ashley (20), Christina (18), and Jessica (9) all wrapped up competition with their respective Southern California-based club teams on Monday, the final day of the international tournament that began on Friday.

British emigree Jane McGuigan plays alongside her husband on the Conejo Valley-based Bulldogs and also has two sons who play.

"My husband started playing because he got sick of watching us all," McGuigan said.

If field hockey united many of the families in the crowd of nearly 900 on hand for Monday's championship matches, still more did the sport bring together a diverse group of nations, exemplified by the showcase events of the day, the women's and men's Super Division finals.

The women's match pitted Ciudad de Buenos Aires against Malvern Field Hockey Club of Brooklyn, N.Y., while the men's final featured Ciudad de Buenos Aires and Namdhari Hockey Academy of Bangalore, India.

Earlier in the day, Ciudad de Mexico earned a 1-0 victory over Monarcas, which featured a handful of local players, to take third in the women's Super Division. The Camarillo Cougars placed second in their pool in the under-19 women's division.

The women's final proved a relatively easy victory for Buenos Aires, which included many players from the Argentinian national team, world champion and runner-up at the last Olympics.

After breaking the scoreless tie about 16 minutes into the game, which was played in two 35-minute halves, Buenos Aires never looked back. It kept Malvern on the defensive and in its own half of the field for most of the match en route to a 4-0 victory.

Jubilant after their triumph, the Argentinian women celebrated on field with song and dance and remained boisterous for the rest of the afternoon.

"What men are for soccer, women are for hockey in Argentina," explained Antonio von Ondarza, president of the Pan American Hockey Federation.

While the Argentinian men may play second fiddle in their home country, their championship match against Namdhari was the most anticipated match of the tournament.

Buenos Aires defeated Namdhari in the 2005 Cal Cup final and earned a 2-1 victory over the Indian squad in pool play on Sunday.

With Olympians on both sides, the match lived up to the hype.

The 3-2 Namdhari victory was fiercely contested throughout, featuring athletic goalie play and precision passing, with a flow similar to a well-played soccer game but speed more reminiscent of ice hockey.

Despite a number of fast-break offensives mounted by the Indian squad, most of the scoring for both teams occurred on set pieces originating from the sideline near the goal, roughly akin to soccer's corner kicks.

Namdhari pulled ahead 3-1, then weathered a furious comeback attempt by Buenos Aires.

"We lost last time to Buenos Aires, so we wanted the opportunity to come back and beat them," said Namdhari coach Baldev Singh.

Following the intensely competitive match that included a number of collisions and near injuries, however, both squads put any developing rivalry aside to pose for a picture together.

"Because of the continuity and camaraderie of the Cal Cup, I have a 13-year-old daughter I want to be able to play here someday," said Buenos Aires women's coach and field hockey legend Marcelo Garafo. "Even after five Olympics, I'm still enjoying the family of hockey."