2009-10 National Women's Team

HEFFORD SCORES TWICE, BUT CANADA FALLS TO ROYALS

CALGARY, Alta. – Ten seconds. That’s all it took the Calgary Royals to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead on Tuesday night, en route to a 4-2 victory over Canada’s National Women’s Team in NWT Midget Series action.

Jayna Hefford scored twice for the Canadians, who fell to 6-3 in Midget Series play and have lost two of their last three against AMHL competition. Tuesday’s game was their first since regaining their 4 Nations Cup crown on Nov. 7 in Vierumaki, Finland.

The loss was due in large part to the Canadians’ inability to produce offence – they managed only 14 shots on Royals goaltender Austin Smith and just five in the third period, when they trailed by a single goal.

It was Calgary that got on the board first, as Reid Simmons took a pass in the slot from Brett Dallen and snapped a shot past the blocker of Canadian netminder Charline Labonté just shy of the five-minute mark.

But Hefford, who has arguably been Canada’s best player in 2009-10, shoveled a puck past Smith after a scramble in the Calgary crease to pull the Canadians even just 56 seconds after Simmons’ goal. It was Hefford’s eighth goal in Midget Series play, more than double any other Canadian skater.

Hefford struck again for her ninth goal just past the midway point of the second period, needing two chances to beat Smith for Canada’s first lead of the game at 2-1, but that one-goal advantage would be short lived.

Evan Jarock did all the work on Calgary’s tying goal 3:30 later, powering around the Canadian defence before throwing a one-handed pass into the slot, where Logan Madden tapped the puck past Kim St-Pierre, who had replaced Labonté in the Canadian goal just minutes earlier.

Off the ensuing face-off it was déjà vu, as Jarock set up Madden for his second goal in 10 seconds, giving the Royals a lead they would never relinquish.

Brad Buckingham rounded out the scoring in the third on a power play, clinching the all-important two points in the AMHL standings for the Royals.

The game was the first of three in four nights for Canada – it travels to Edmonton to face the SSAC Athletics on Thursday before taking on the Oil Kings in Leduc on Friday night.

Goals/Buts:
04:56 ROY Reid Simmonds (Brett Dallen)
05:52 CAN Jayna Hefford (Becky Kellar)

Penalties/Punitions:
10:36 CAN Jocelyne Larocque (Interference/Obstruction)
16:20 CAN Becky Kellar (Cross-checking/Double-échec)

Goals/Buts:
11:18 CAN Jayna Hefford (Carla MacLeod, Hayley Wickenheiser) PP/AN
14:48 ROY Logan Madden (Evan Jarock, Ryan MacPhee)
14:58 ROY Logan Madden (Evan Jarock, Keenan Martins)

Penalties/Punitions:
05:12 ROY Devin Dambrauskas (Boarding/Donner de la bande)
08:56 CAN Rebecca Johnston (Hooking/Accrocher)
11:05 ROY Mark Christensen (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
11:24 ROY Brad Buckingham (Reid Simmonds, Devin Dambrauskas) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
00:35 ROY Brad Buckingham (Cross-checking/Double-échec)
01:37 ROY Reed Huber (Delay of Game/Retarder le match)
10:31 CAN Gillian Apps (Roughing/Rudesse)
12:53 ROY Ryan McPhee (Cross-checking/Double-échec)