YOUNG GUNS HELP LEAD NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAM TO WIN

CALGARY, Alta. – One night after needing two goals in the final eight minutes to escape with a win, the National Women’s Team made sure there would be no such drama the second time around.

Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont.) scored twice and Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.) added a goal and an assist as the national team earned a 5-2 win over the National Women’s Under-22 Team on Tuesday night, clinching a series win in the three-game set. It took Monday’s first game 4-3.

Both Irwin, 21, and Jenner, 18, would likely be playing for the U22 side in a normal year had they not been selected for Olympic centralization, and the under-22 team could have used their offence on Tuesday. It has yet to find the back of the net in the series at 5-on-5, scoring all five of its goals through two games on the power play.

The U22 team came out with the same jump and same tenacious forecheck it had in Monday’s opener, but could not find a way to beat netminder Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) and, despite having a 6-2 advantage early, was outshot 12-7 in the opening period.

With the game looking like it was headed to the first intermission scoreless for the second night in a row, Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.) poked a loose puck past U22 goaltender Christina Kessler (Mississauga, Ont.) with just 31 ticks left on the clock, giving the national team a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

It used a little luck to double the lead early in the second period as Irwin’s centering attempt deflected off the stick of under-22 defender Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que.) and past Kessler.

After Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, Ont.) cut the lead in half with a power play marker, Jenner converted a gorgeous pass from Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) and Irwin tapped in a beautiful cross-crease feed from Hayley Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, Sask.) to send the national side to the dressing room with a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

The U22s struck again with the man advantage late in the third period when Jenelle Kohanchuk (Winnipeg, Man.) redirected a Stephanie Ramsay (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) pass past Szabados, but Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.) rounded out the scoring into an empty net in the final 30 seconds.

The series wraps up Thursday night when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. MT at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

Goals/Buts:
19:31 NWT Sarah Vaillancourt (Brianne Jenner, Jayna Hefford)

Penalties/Punitions:
14:34 NWT Gillian Apps (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
17:04 U22 Tara Watchorn (Interference/Obstruction)
19:46 NWT Gina Kingsbury (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
02:32 NWT Haley Irwin (Gillian Ferrari, Meghan Agosta)
07:05 U22 Tara Watchorn (Catherine White, Jessica Wong) PP/AN
14:51 NWT Brianne Jenner (Meghan Agosta, Jennifer Botterill)
18:26 NWT Haley Irwin (Hayley Wickenheiser)

Penalties/Punitions:
06:35 NWT Gillian Apps (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
14:30 U22 Jenelle Kohanchuk (Stephanie Ramsay, Ann-Sophie Bettez) PP/AN
19:35 NWT Gina Kingsbury (Rebecca Johnston, Carla MacLeod) PP/AN EN/FD

Penalties/Punitions:
02:43 U22 Stefanie McKeough (Elbowing/Donner du coude)
10:12 NWT Marie-Philip Poulin (Hooking/Accrocher)
13:30 NWT Haley Irwin (Hooking/Accrocher)
15:06 U22 Mallory Deluce (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
18:10 U22 Karell Emard (Hooking/Accrocher)