CANADIAN RESILIENCE ON DISPLAY IN SERIES-ENDING LOSS TO U.S.

JORDAN MADY

CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s Women’s Development Team erased a pair of one-goal deficits, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 3-2 loss to the United States on Saturday in the finale of a three-game series.

Despite the loss, the Canadians still took the series two games to one, winning the summer set for the first time since a three-game sweep in 2010.

“We obviously wanted the sweep, but they have a good team and they played great,” Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) said following the game.

Clark and Rebecca Leslie (Ottawa, Ont./Boston University, HE) had the goals for the Canadians, while Micah Hart (Saanichton, B.C./Cornell University, ECAC) chipped in with a pair of assists.

Looking to avoid the sweep, the Americans grabbed the early lead; Rebecca Gilmore set up Amy Menke on a two-on-one, and Menke snuck a shot through Erica Howe (Orleans, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) for a 1-0 advantage.

The Americans surged out of the gate, at one point leading Canada in shots by a count of 7-1, before the hosts countered in the latter half of the opening period to eventually pull even.

After good work kept the puck in the American zone, Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./University of Minnesota, WCHA) picked up the rebound of a Hart shot and circled into the slot before letting go a shot that was blocked. The loose puck fell to Leslie, who showed off quick hands to tuck a shot past U.S. netminder Kaitlin Burt at 14:14.

It took American captain Annie Pankowski just 10 seconds of the second period to put the U.S. ahead again as she picked up the puck right off the opening face-off and streaked into the Canadian zone before beating Howe.

But Canada responded on the power play; Hart went D-to-D to captain Halli Krzyzaniak (Neepawa, Man./University of North Dakota, WCHA), whose shot was partially blocked by an American defender before Clark knocked the bouncing puck past Burt to make it a 2-2 game.

Melissa Samoskevich netted the eventual game-winner 14 minutes into the middle frame, cutting from the side of the net into the slot before going along the ice to beat Howe.

The Canadians couldn’t get anything going offensively in the third period, managing just three shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. Overall, the U.S. held a 31-16 advantage.

Potomak – who finished with four points in the three games, said the loss offered a unique learning moment in contrast with the first two games.

“It’s just a life experience … to never get too high, to never get too low,” she said. “We battled hard but the puck just didn’t go our way. But we got the series win so I’m really proud of that.”