2009-10 National Women's Team

SZABADOS TURNS ASIDE 29 SHOTS, EARNS SHUTOUT IN CANADIAN WIN

EDMONTON, Alta. – Shannon Szabados doesn’t get many chances to play in her hometown lately. She made the most of her opportunity on Wednesday night.

Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) stopped all 29 shots she faced, leading Canada’s National Women’s Team to a 3-0 win over the Edmonton K of C Pats and its fifth win in six NWT Midget Series games.

The Canadians got one goal in each of the periods to post their first clean scoresheet of the season and run their record against Alberta Midget Hockey League opponents to 5-1, denying another team the all-important two points in the AMHL standings.

Despite getting outshot 11-10 in the opening 20 minutes it was Canada who hit the scoreboard first as Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg, Man.) beat K of C goaltender Davis Jones, with help from Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont.) and Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.).

Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.) needed a mere 14 seconds of the second period to double the lead, finishing off a set up from Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que.) and Hayley Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, Sask.) for a 2-0 NWT advantage.

Tessa Bonhomme (Sudbury, Ont.) wrapped up the scoring late in the third from Wickenheiser and Delaney Collins (Pilot Mound, Man.), the only puck to beat Zacharey Weissbach, who replaced Jones in the K of C net at the game’s midway point.

Szabados was the story for Canada, putting on a show in front of family and friends to record the shutout in her first game action since playing 30 minutes of a 4-3 loss to Lethbridge on Oct. 8.

The National Women’s Team wraps up its grueling three-day, three-game, 1,500-kilometre road trip on Thursday night when it takes on the UFA Bisons in Strathmore (6:45 p.m. MT). It continues its Midget Series home schedule next Tuesday, Oct. 27, taking on the Calgary Flames at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary.

Goals/Buts:
12:08 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Jennifer Wakefield, Gina Kingsbury)

Penalties/Punitions:
13:45 KC Carter Proft (Roughing/Rudesse)
17:47 CAN Gillian Ferrari (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
00:14 CAN Gillian Apps (Marie-Philip Poulin, Hayley Wickenheiser)

Penalties/Punitions:
00:46 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Hooking/Accrocher)
13:24 CAN Gillian Ferrari (Holding/Retenir)
18:13 CAN Marie-Philip Poulin (Elbowing/Donner du coude)
19:06 CAN Catherine Ward (Body-checking/Mise en échec corporelle)

Goals/Buts:
16:10 CAN Tessa Bonhomme (Delaney Collins, Hayley Wickenheiser) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
11:45 KC Kirk Sangris (Delay of Game/Retarder le match)
15:45 KC Bench/Banc (Too many players/Trop du joueurs)