CANADA WINS OFFENSIVE SHOOTOUT TO CLAIM 2008 EUROPEAN AIR CANADA CUP

RAVENSBURG, Germany – For the sixth time in as many tries, Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team has won gold at the European Air Canada Cup, capping a perfect 2007-08 season for the team – a three-game sweep of the USA in August and a gold in Germany – the first time that has ever happened.

Canada topped Finland 7-5 in Sunday’s final to claim gold.

Despite early pressure in the Finnish zone in the opening minutes of play, the Canadians were not able to solve goaltender Maija Hassinen, and it was Finland who got on the scoreboard first when Venla Hiirikoski beat Canadian netminder Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, AB/Grant MacEwan College, ACAC) on a breakaway just 6:06 in.

The Finns upped the lead to 2-0 with a powerplay marker at 15:27, as Karolina Rantamaki found Mari Pehkonen waiting alone beside the Canadian gold. Szabados was able to make that save, but the rebound was cleared to Jenni Hiirikoski at the top of the circle, and she made no mistake.

Canada came out hungry at the start of the second period and got one back early, as Jesse Scanzano (Montreal, QC/Mercyhurst College, CHA) drove the rebound from a Cristin Allen (Pickering, ON/University of Connecticut, Hockey East) point shot between the pads of Hassinen on the powerplay at 4:53

Canadian determination was awarded again at 7:55 as Scanzano chased down a loose puck that had been headmanned by Dominique Thibault (L’Orignal, ON/University of Connecticut, Hockey East). Scanzano centred to Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON/University of NewHampshire, Hockey East) who beat Haasinen to knot the game at 2-2.

Just 27 seconds later Canada generated another 2 on 1 rush and Valerie Chouinard (Matane, QC/Mercyhurst College, CHA) converted a pass from Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON/Mercyhurst College, CHA) to put Canada ahead for the first time, 3-2.

However, the lead was short lived as the Finns evened the score at 10:08 on the powerplay as Michelle Karvinen deflected an Emma Laaksonen shot past Szabados. The Finnish powerplay clicked again at 15:06 as Terhi Mertanen beat Szabados high to the glove side through a screen, but Canada capped off the scoring in a wild 20 minutes as Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, ON/University of Minnesota-Duluth,WCHA) took a pass from Stephanie Jones (Grande Prairie, AB/Mercyhurst College, CHA) off the rush and beat Haasinen from the high slot to tie the score heading into the intermission.

The Agosta-Chouinard-Johnston trio started the third period for Canada and took only 10 seconds to restore the lead as Agosta snapped up a rebound off a shot from Chouinard and deposited it past Hassinen, but Finland tied the score quickly once again at 1:36 as Jenni Hiirikoski was able to poke an unsmothered rebound over to an open Emma Laaksonen in a goal-mouth scramble.

Catherine Ward (Montreal, QC/McGill University, CIS) put Canada ahead for good just past the seven-minute mark as she used a Finnish defender as a screen to blast a long slapshot past Hassinen, and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, ON/Cornell University, ECAC) rounded out the scoring and converted Canada’s touchdown at 18:48, scoring on a breakaway with a nifty deke.

Canada outshot Finland 13-5 in the decisive third period and 39-32 overall.

In addition to the gold medal and trophy, Canada will also bring home some individual hardware. Agosta, who led Canada, and the tournament, in scoring with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in four games was named Top Forward and also earned a spot on the tournament all-star team, where she was joined by blueliner Melanie Gagnon (St. Adolph, MB/University of Minnesota, WCHA), who wrapped up her Under-22 career with her fifth gold medal.

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Final

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Goals/Buts :
FIN Venla Heikkilä (Mari Saarinen, Nina Tikkinen) 6:06
FIN Jenni Hiirikoski (Karoliina Rantamäki, Marik Pekhonen) 15:27 PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN Mallory Deluce (Interference) 1:12
CAN Amanda Shaw (Tripping) 7:35
CAN Laura Fridfinnson (Hooking) 14:51

Goals/Buts :
CAN Jesse Scanzano (Cristin Allen, Jocelyne Larocque) 4:53 PP
CAN Jennifer Wakefield (Jesse Scanzano, Dominique Thibault) 7:55
CAN Valerie Chouinard (Meghan Agosta, Rebecca Johnston) 8:22
FIN Michelle Karvinen (Emma Laaksonen) 10:08 PP
FIN Terhi Mertanen (Venla Heikkilä) 15:06 PP
CAN Haley Irwin (Stephanie Jones) 18:38

Penalties/Pénalités :
FIN Emma Laaksonen (Tripping) 4:14
CAN Laura Fridfinnson (Interference) 9:51
CAN Jennifer Wakefield (High Sticking) 10:41
CAN Jennifer Wakefield (Tripping) 14:02

Goals/Buts :
CAN Meghan Agosta (Valerie Chouinard, Rebecca Johnston) 0:10
FIN Emma Laaksonen (Jenni Hiirikoski, Mari Pehkonen) 1:36
CAN Catherine Ward (Meghan Agosta) 7:12
CAN Rebecca Johnston (Valerie Chouinard) 18:44

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN Samantha Hunt (Hooking) 1:53
CAN Samantha Hunt (Hooking) 8:58
FIN Emma Laaksonen (Interference) 15:00