KOHANCHUK SCORES TWICE, SZABADOS STOPS 37 PUCKS FOR RED’S 6-2 COMEBACK WIN

CALGARY, Alta. – Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta./Northern Alberta Institute of Technology/ACAC) stood on her head Thursday night, making an impressive 37 saves to help Red stage a serious comeback by snagging a 6-2 win over White in Canada’s National Women’s Program Red-White Series, taking place this week at Hockey Canada’s home arena.

It was a huge win after a tough loss Wednesday evening, when White topped Red 3-1 to open the series featuring the top 40 female hockey players from across the country.

It was White to crack the scoreboard first Thursday, with Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) putting the puck behind Szabados at 14:44 in the first. But it was a short-lived lead, and the only one of the game for White, as Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) tied it up less than a minute later for Red. Jenelle Kohanchuk (Winnipeg, Man./Boston University, HE) quickly broke the tie and sealed the lead for Red, scoring her first of the night on an assist from Melodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./McGill University, CIS) to make it 2-1 going into the intermission.

Daoust continued to show off some stellar stick work in the second, feeding Brigette Lacquette (Waterhen, Man./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) at 3:19 to widen the gap to 3-1 over White, and a few minutes later helping out Kohanchuk again, who made it 4-1 at 7:21 in the period. White battled hard to solve Szabados, but the crafty netminder protected her net at all costs, and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Toronto, CWHL) made it even harder for the opposition by putting an unassisted puck into the net at 8:45 to make it 5-1 midway through the middle frame.

White was able to hold off Red through the latter half of the second period, and flew out onto the ice in the third with fire beneath their skates. Their hard work paid off when White was sent to the box, and blueliner Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que./Cornell University, ECAC) was able to step up on the power play and narrow the scoresheet to 5-2, although still in favour of Red.

But in the end the night belonged to Red, with Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Montreal, CWHL) sealing the deal at 9:11 in the third, and notching her third point of the night. Red skated away with the 6-2 win, and tied up the intrasquad series at one game apiece.

Want to find out which team will claim series victory at Canada’s National Women’s Program Red-White Series? Come out to the Markin MacPhail MacPhail Centre in Calgary to catch the final game live at 10 a.m. MT on Saturday, Aug. 24, or if you can’t be there, follow all of the action from the rink at www.Twitter.com/HC_Women.
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