MERCER SCORES TWICE, WHITE AVOIDS INTRASQUAD SWEEP WITH WIN OVER BLACK

CALGARY, Alta. – Carly Mercer (Exeter, Ont./Clarkson University, ECAC) scored twice, including the game-winner, to help White to its first win at Canada’s National Women’s Development Team selection camp, 4-2 over Black in Saturday’s intrasquad finale.

Black had taken the first two of the three-game series, winning 2-1 Tuesday and earning a 5-4 overtime victory Thursday.

Jordan Krause (Kelowna, B.C./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) and Ashleigh Brykaliuk (Brandon, Man./Westman, MFMHL) had the other goals for White,  which also got two assists from Vickie Lemire (Saint-Lazare, Que./Saint-Laurent, RSEQ) in the win.

Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, Ont./Clarkson University, ECAC) and Hanna Bunton (Belleville, Ont./Whitby, PWHL) scored for Black, which opened and closed the scoring, and outshot White for the third straight game, 22-18.

Black started the scoring for the third game in a row, with Rattray doing the honours for the second time in the series when she snapped a shot past White goaltender Chloé Desjardins (Saint-Prosper, Que./Northeastern University, HE) at 7:13.

Mercer’s first of the game, early in a five-on-three power play, tied it six minutes later, and White took its first lead 13 minutes into the second period when Krause converted on a five-minute man advantage after Rattray was given a major and a game misconduct for body-checking.

Mercer and the White power play struck again eight minutes into the third period for a 3-1 lead, and Brykaliuk added even more insurance just 20 seconds later.

Bunton pulled Black to within two at 15:20 of the final frame, spinning in the slot to beat Kimberly Newell (Burnaby, B.C./Princeton University, ECAC), but that would be as close as the score would get.

Desjardins and Newell combined to make 20 saves in the White goal, while Black netminders Jaimie Leonoff (Montreal, Que./Yale University, ECAC) and Erica Howe (Orleans, Ont./Clarkson University, ECAC) stopped 14 of 18 shots.

From the camp, 13 players will be selected to combine with the 27 players centralized with Canada’s National Women’s Team for a three-game series next week.