MCKINLEY GETS WINNER, BLUE BEATS GOLD IN U18 CAMP OPENER

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Kristen McKinley (Quispamsis, N.B./Rothesay Netherwood School, CAHS) scored the game-winning goal on a second-period power play and added an assist for good measure, helping Blue to a 3-2 win over Gold on Wednesday night in the first of three intrasquad games at Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp.

Brooke McQuigge (Bowmanville, Ont./Whitby, PWHL) also had a goal and a helper for Blue, which won despite getting outshot 34-20, including 15-4 in the second period.

Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) was the other goal-scorer for Blue, while Jaimie Rainville (Welland, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) and Corinne Schroeder (Elm Creek, Man./Balmoral Hall School (JWHL) combined for the 32-save victory.

Blue needed just three minutes to open the scoring; McQuigge drove to the net to redirect a perfect cross-ice feed from McKinley past Gold goaltender Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, P.E.I./Charlottetown, PEIMAAAHL).

Watts doubled the advantage at 18:08, picking up a loose puck in neutral zone and racing into the Gold end before letting go a quick shot that eluded Boutilier to send Blue to the first intermission with a two-goal lead.

Rosalie Demers quickly responded for Gold just 46 seconds into the second period, spinning out of the corner and slipping a shot through Rainville for a power-play goal that made it 2-1.

Both teams swapped goaltenders midway through the second period, and Blue welcomed Kerigan Dowhy (The Pas, Man./Interlake, MFMHL) just 14 seconds after the change when McKinley got her shot up and over the blocker of the new netminder on the power play to restore the two-goal advantage.

Blue relied on its penalty kill in the second period; Gold went without a goal on five full power-play opportunities in the middle frame (the Demers goal came in the late seconds of a first-period penalty).

Gabrielle David (Drummondville, Que./Élites d’Estrie, LHFDQ) got one back for Gold seven minutes into the final period, tapping in a pass from Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pacific, JWHL), but that would be as close as the score would get.

The teams will enjoy some time away from the rink Thursday before returning to the Markin MacPhail Centre on Friday night (8 p.m. MT) for the middle contest in the three-game set.