BLUE GETS TWO IN SECOND PERIOD, BEATS GOLD AGAIN AT U18 CAMP

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Sierra Burt (Bayfield, Ont./Bluewater, PWHL) and Ashton Bell (Deloraine, Man./Westman, MFMHL) scored just over three minutes apart in the second period to give Blue the lead, and it held on to edge Gold 2-1 on Friday night at Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp.

Blue made it two-for-two in intrasquad games; it topped Gold 3-2 in the camp opener Wednesday.

Édith D’Astous-Moreau (Laval, Que./Nepean, PWHL) and Jaimie Rainville (Welland, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) combined to make 19 saves in the Blue goal to get their team the win.

Gold struck quickly to take its first lead of camp; Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) took advantage of a turnover at the Gold blue-line and raced away on a breakaway before going to the forehand to beat D’Astous-Moreau for a shorthanded marker just 2:38 in.

After managing just four shots in the first period, Blue found the back of the net twice before the five-minute mark of the second to take the lead for good.

Burt tied the game at 1:16, taking a pass from Kristy Pidgeon (Ingleside, Ont./Nepean, PWHL) and quickly roofing a shot past Loryn Porter (North Bay, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL), and Bell poked the puck away from a Gold defender before tucking a shot around Porter at 4:32.

That would be it for offence, with neither team able to get much going over the final 35 minutes.

Rainville made nine saves in her 29 minutes of work, but saved arguably her best for last, throwing out the glove to rob Audrey-Anne Veillette (Drummondville, Que./Élites d’Estrie, LHFDQ) from the slot with less than 10 seconds to go.

Porter and Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, P.E.I./Charlottetown, PEIMAAAHL) kept the game close in the Gold goal, combining for 13 saves; Porter allowed two goals on 10 shots before giving way to Boutilier, who was perfect on five chances.

Camp comes to an end Sunday with the intrasquad finale (6 p.m. MT); it will be the last chance to impress before 22 players are named to Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team on Sunday morning.