HOUSTON SCORES TWICE TO LEAD U18 HOPEFULS OVER OUA ALL-STARS

MORGAN BELL

HAMILTON, Ont. – Two goals from Ryleigh Houston (Winnipeg, Man./Balmoral Hall School, JWHL) lifted Canada to a 2-0 victory over the OUA All-Stars on Friday night in the first of two games at Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp.

Marlène Boissonnault (Dundee, N.B./Rothesay Netherwood School, CAHS) needed to make just 14 saves to record the shutout for Team Canada, which held the OUA to four shots in the first 40 minutes.

Houston opened the scoring for the Canadians on the power play less than five minutes in, beating OUA netminder Stephanie Nehring to the rebound of a Valérie Audet (St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que./Dawson College, CEGEP) shot.

Canada’s penalty killing took over in the second period, denying the OUA on three power play opportunities, and Houston doubled the lead at 11:11, taking a pass from Kristin O’Neill (Oakville, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) and beating Nehring to the glove side on a breakaway.

Boissonault was at her busiest in the third period, making 10 of her 14 stops in the final frame. The OUA All-Stars buzzed the Canadian net after pulling Nehring with just over 90 seconds left, but couldn’t break the shutout.

The teams are back on the ice Sunday morning, with the puck set to drop at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.

Following camp, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, Jan. 5-12 in Buffalo, N.Y., where the Canadians will go after their fourth consecutive world title.