By USSA

FLACHAU, Austria – Veteran Resi Stiegler led the U.S. team in a night of firsts at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom Tuesday night, taking 15. But under the lights, it was a pair of young U.S. Ski Team members that shined, with Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, Minn.) and Lila Lapanja (Incline Village) scoring their first career World Cup points.

Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia won the race for her third career World Cup win. Sarka Strachova of the Czech Republic was second, followed by World Cup slalom leader Frida Hansdotter of Sweden in third.

Moltzan and Lapanja joined Stiegler in qualifying for the second run, and both scored their first career World Cup points. Lapanja was 23 and Moltzan finished 25th. Stiegler, qualifying for the first time in her career for a second run at Flachau, was 15.

Skiing in only her third World Cup start, Lapanja came out of the 37 start position and laid down a smooth first run, finishing 22. Lapanja, who made her World Cup debut earlier this season in Aspen, went back to the NorAm circuit and won a pair of slalom races in Panorama, British Columbia, last month before joining the team in Europe after the holidays.

“I had to be a little bit smarter with my tactics (on the second run), let the skis go out a little bit more, but I was a little bit impatient because I was so amped,” Lapanja said. “I feel pretty good, but I’m a competitor and I already know what I want to do differently to go even faster. But this is an amazing start and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”