2009-10 National Women's Team

HEFFORD’S FOUR POINTS LEAD CANADA TO COMEBACK WIN

CALGARY, Alta. – The ‘C’ on Jayna Hefford’s jersey may have been for ‘captain’ on Tuesday night, but ‘cardiac’ may have been more fitting after the National Women’s Team veteran helped Canada to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Calgary Buffaloes.

After opening the scoring in the first period and helping set up Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) early in the third, Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) scored in the game’s final minute to force OT and completed her hat trick 3:34 into the extra frame, giving Canada a win in its NWT Midget Series home opener.

With the win, Canada moves to 3-1 in the Midget Series with a road trip to northern Alberta on the schedule next week.

Facing the two-time defending Alberta Midget Hockey League champions and last year’s national silver medalists, Canada jumped to an early lead when Hefford knocked her own rebound past Calgary goaltender Bryton Udy just 3:27 in.

The Buffaloes answered less than three minutes later when Brett Pinder’s wrist shot off the wing deflected off the glove of Kim St-Pierre (Châteauguay, Que.) and past the Canadian netminder to wrap up the scoring in a first period that saw Canada hold a slim 9-7 advantage in shots on goal.

Calgary turned up the offence in the middle frame, taking advantage of a pair of Canadian miscues to take a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes.

But Canada’s veterans led them back, as Hefford and Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.) combined to set up Ouellette to cut the Calgary lead to 3-2 just 1:37 into the third period. Hefford completed the comeback with 51.7 seconds left, lifting a backhand over Udy’s glove with Canada enjoying a late power play.

After both teams had chances early in the 4-on-4 overtime, Hefford drove to the net to deposit a Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) rebound for her third of the night, sending the pro-Canadian crowd at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena home happy.

Canada will see the ice next on Friday night when it travels south of the border to Spokane, Wash., to take on the United States in the second of six games between the rivals (7 p.m. PT). Canada took the opening game on Oct. 5 in Victoria, B.C., winning 3-1.

Goals/Buts:
03:27 CAN Jayna Hefford (Sarah Vaillancourt, Carla MacLeod)
06:18 BUF Brett Pinder (Nick Licowsky, Riley McDougall)

Penalties/Punitions:
10:32 CAN Becky Kellar (Interference/Obstruction)
17:34 BUF Nick Licowsky (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
12:19 BUF Taylor Buronyuk (Eric Eyolfson)
18:50 BUF Brett Pinder

Penalties/Punitions:
03:24 CAN Haley Irwin (Hooking/Accrocher)
06:23 CAN Rebecca Johnston (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
08:28 BUF Robert Tronkowski (High Sticking/Bâton élever)
15:23 BUF John Stechyshyn (Interference/Obstruction)
15:44 BUF Bench (Unsportsmanlike Conduct/Conduite antisportive)

Goals/Buts:
01:37 CAN Caroline Ouelette (Gillian Apps, Jayna Hefford)
19:08 CAN Jayna Hefford (Sarah Vaillancourt, Carla MacLeod) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
05:59 CAN Gillian Apps (Interference/Obstruction)
14:47 CAN Meghan Agosta (High Sticking/Bâton élever)
17:29 BUF Carson Brown (Interference/Obstruction)

Goals/Buts:
03:34 CAN Jayna Hefford (Meghan Agosta, Catherine Ward)

Penalties/Punitions:
None/Aucun