WARD SCORES OVERTIME WINNER AS CANADA WINS UNDER-22 SERIES

PIERREFONDS, QC – Another day, another comeback for Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team.

Catherine Ward (Montreal, QC/McGill University, CIS) scored 48 seconds into overtime as Canada fought back from a 3-0 deficit late in the second period to score a 4-3 win over the USA on Saturday morning in the third and final game of the series between the two women’s hockey rivals.

Canada also fought back from a three-goal deficit in Wednesday night’s series opener, a game it lost 4-3 in a shootout. It evened the series with a 7-2 win on Friday night.

The Canadians have now won seven of the last nine games against the USA, with the only two losses coming in extra time – one in overtime in 2006 and Wednesday night’s shootout loss. Canada has not lost to the Americans in regulation time since August 23, 2003.

After an end-to-end opening 10 minutes that saw both teams denied on scoring chances, it was the Americans who got on the board first as Sam Faber beat Canadian goaltender Christina Kessler (Oakville, ON/Harvard University, CIS), and Crysti Howser made it 2-0 just 2:29 later.

Canada came out with jump in the second period, outshooting the Americans 15-6, but the USA would push their lead to 3-0 at the 15:20 mark as Jocelyne Lamoureux beat Liz Knox (Stouffville, ON/Wilfrid Laurier University, CIS), who had replaced Kessler at the midway point of the period.

Facing another three-goal deficit, the Canadians used their powerplay to get back into the game as Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) got Canada on the board, cruising through the slot and snapping a shot past American netminder Molly Schaus 68 seconds after Lamoureux’s goal.

Fifty seconds later, with Canada enjoying another man advantage, Emmanuelle Blais (Montreal, QC/University of Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA) picked up the rebound off a shot from Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, ON/University of Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA) and beat Schaus to cut the American lead to one at 3-2 heading to the second intermission.

Riding a wave of momentum entering the third period, Canada drew a pair of American penalties on the same play early in the frame and enjoyed a two-man advantage for a full two minutes.

Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, QC/St-Jérôme, Collégial AA) made sure the opportunity would not go to waste, snapping a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and past Schaus for the third Canadian goal in 7:01, completing the comeback and pulling Canada even at 3-3.

Neither team could break the deadlock in the final 16 minutes, sending the game to overtime where Ward struck quickly, sneaking in from her blueline position and poking a loose puck past Schaus for the game winner.

Canada outshot the Americans 36-25 overall.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team will return to the ice next in January, when it travels to Ravensburg, Germany for the 2009 MLP Cup (formerly the Air Canada Cup), a tournament Canada has won six consecutive years.

The roster for the MLP Cup will be announced in December.

1

2

3

Final OT

-

2

1

4

2

1

0

3

Goals/Buts :
14:25 USA Faber (M. Lamoureux, Schleper)
16:54 USA Howser (Bellamy)

Penalties/Pénalités :
2:15 CAN Birchard (Boarding/Assaut)
4:52 USA Prough (Interference/Obstruction)
10:26 USA Faber (Hooking/Accrocher)
17:06 CAN Wakefield (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts :
15:30 USA J. Lamoureux (M. Lamoureux, Marvin) PP
16:38 CAN Wakefield (Smith) PP
17:28 CAN Blais (Irwin, Rougeau) PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
2:00 USA Schleper (Bodychecking/Mise en échec)
2:22 CAN Karpenko (Tripping/Trébucher)
8:07 USA Stack (Highsticking/Bâton élevé)
13:39 CAN Karpenko (Interference/Obstruction)
16:04 USA Fardelmann (Hooking/Accrocher)
17:09 USA Marvin (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts :
03:39 CAN Rougeau (Fridfinsson) PP2

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:18 CAN Bettez (Hooking/Accrocher)
02:44 USA Fardelmann (Roughing/Rudesse)
02:44 USA Bellamy (Roughing after the whistle/Rudesse après l’arrêt du jeu)
16:28 CAN Fridfinsson (Tripping/Trébucher)

Goals/Buts :
0:48 CAN Ward (Johnston, Bendus)

Penalties/Pénalités :
None/Aucun