2009-10 National Women's Team

CANADA HOLDS ON FOR 3-2 WIN OVER FLAMES

CALGARY, Alta. – Close, but no ‘W’ for the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

The Flames thought they had the game-tying goal when Alex Sykora tipped in a shot past Canada’s Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) with 35 seconds left in Thursday night’s game against Canada’s National Women’s Team.

But Sykora got in a bit too close on Szabados, and the contact resulted in a goaltender interference penalty, allowing Canada to hold on for a 3-2 victory over the Midget AAA boys team in the first game for both teams of the Icebreaker Tournament at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.) scored the game-winning goal for Canada when she broke in alone on the Flames’ Cole Cheveldave with just over four minutes to play. Piper went forehand to backhand and slipped the puck past the goaltender to give Canada a 3-2 lead. Szabados took over from there and made several key saves to keep her team ahead.

After a scoreless first period, the Flames opened the scoring in the second. Carter Page jumped on a loose puck and, after being stopped by Szabados on his first attempt, jammed in the rebound to make it 1-0. At the 9:31 mark of the second, Canada’s Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) streaked down the ice on her off-wing, and then made a great pass to Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.), who wired the puck off the post and in.

The score remained 1-1 until the 13:27 mark. With her team shorthanded, Agosta grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone and turned on the afterburners. Agosta’s speed gave her a breakaway and she made no mistake with a wrist shot that beat Cheveldave high on the stick side.
Canada took a 2-1 lead into the third but the Flames tied it up midway through the final frame. A scramble in front of Szabados ended when Lucas Grundy snapped the puck in.

Agosta finished with three points for Canada, as she assisted on Piper’s game-winner. Hefford, Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, Alta.) and Gillian Ferrari (Thornhill, Ont.) each had an assist.

Cheveldave made 14 saves in a losing cause.
 
There will be two games on Friday at the National Women’s Team Icebreaker Tournament. First, the Flames and Royals will face off at 5 p.m. MT, followed by Canada taking on the UFA Bisons at 8:30 p.m. MT.

The Royals defeated the Bisons 6-4 in Thursday’s early game. Follow all of the action throughout the weekend at

Goals/Buts : 
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités : 
03:09 CAN Meghan Agosta (Hooking/Accrocher)
07:14 CAN Meghan Agosta (High Sticking/Bâton élever)
12:23 CAN Gillian Apps (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
14:48 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
16:55 FLA Brandon Long (Hooking/Accrocher)
18:38 FLA Alex Sykora (Slashing/Coup de bâton)

Goals/Buts : 
08:39 FLA Carter Page
09:31 CAN Meghan Agosta (Jayna Hefford, Hayley Wickenheiser) PP/AN
13:27 CAN Meghan Agosta SH/DN)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
01:08 FLA Carter Page (Hooking/Accrocher)
04:17 CAN Cherie Piper (Hooking/Accrocher)
06:24 FLA Spencer Brennan (Hooking/Accrocher)
08:47 FLA Alex Sykora (Hooking/Accrocher)
11:07 FLA Scott Milnthorpe (Body-checking/Mise en échec)
11:21 CAN Meghan Agosta (Hooking/Accrocher)
11:45 CAN Gillian Apps (Hooking/Accrocher)
13:36 CAN Carla Macleod (Hooking/Accrocher)
13:52 CAN Cherie Piper (Roughing/Rudesse)

Goals/Buts : 
09:10 FLA Lucas Grundy (Kieran O'Neil, Alex Sykora)
15:47 CAN Cherie Piper (Meghan Agosta, Gillian Ferrari)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
12:42 FLA Connor Garden (Body-checking/Mise en échec)
16:09 CAN Colleen Sostorics (Holding/Retenir)
18:21 FLA Lucas Grundy (Interference/Obstruction)
18:32 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Hooking/Accrocher)
19:24 FLA Alex Sykora (Goaltender Interference/Obstruction de la gardienne de but)