2008-09 National Women's Under-18 Team

DOUVILLE GETS SHUTOUT AS CANADA RED WRAPS UP UNBEATEN ROUND ROBIN

If Saturday afternoon’s round-robin finale was any indication, Japan could be in tough in the championship game of the National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp on Sunday morning.

Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON) and Ally Tarr (London, ON) scored goals 30 seconds apart early in the second period and Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, QC) made 19 saves for the shutout as Canada Red wrapped up an unbeaten round robin with a 2-0 win over the Japanese on Saturday in Calgary.

Canada Red finished with 11 of a possible 12 points from their round robin contests (three regulation wins and an overtime win) – including a pair of wins over Japan – and will face the team from the Far East again on Sunday in the camp’s final game (11:00 a.m. MT).

After a scoreless first period that saw Canada Red hold a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal, the Canadians finally got to the Japanese just past the five-minute mark of the middle frame.

With Canada Red controlling the puck deep in the offensive zone, McKeough one-timed a pass from Katie Wilson through a screen in front of the net, off the far post and past goaltender Azusa Nakaoku, who replaced Japanese starter Nana Fujimoto after the first period.

A penalty to Sena Suzuki just two seconds after McKeough’s goal put the Canadians on the powerplay, and Tarr picked up a loose puck off a shot from Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON) and deposited it behind Nakaoku for a quick 2-0 lead.

Canada Red continued to pressure the Japanese in the second period, but Nanaoku – who starred in Japan’s 2-1 win over Canada White on Friday night – would not allow another puck to get by her.

The Japanese came on in the third period, throwing everything they had at Douville and the Canadian defense – particularly during a powerplay in the dying minutes with Nanaoku on the bench for a six-on-four advantage – but could not beat the Canada Red netminder, who made many of her eight third-period saves in the final three minutes.

Canada Red’s goaltenders – Douville, Jenesica Drinkwater (Brantford, ON) and Nicole Paniccia (Oakville, ON) – combined to allow just six goals in four round-robin games, while the offence scored a camp-high 13 goals – paced by Jenner’s six points (two goals, four assists).

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Goals/Buts :
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Penalties/Pénalités :
JPN – Etsuko Wada (Holding) 1:21
RED – Jillian Saulnier (Roughing) 13:24
JPN – Yuka Hirano (Interference) 14:15

Goals/Buts :
RED – Stefanie McKeough (Katie Wilson, Danielle Skirrow) 5:21
RED – Ally Tarr (Brianne Jenner, Jillian Saulnier) 5:51 PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
JPN – Sena Suzuki (Interference) 5:23
RED – Brigette Lacquette (Slashing) 8:11
RED – Danielle Skirrow (Tripping) 11:40
JPN – Etsuko Wada (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 11:40
RED – Katie Wilson (Holding) 17:03
RED – Brigette Lacquette (Hooking) 18:54

Goals/Buts :
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Penalties/Pénalités :
RED – Stefanie McKeough (Tripping) 8:53
JPN – Etsuko Wada (Body Contact) 12:17
RED – Brittany Phillips (Roughing) 17:20