2007-08 National Women's Under-18 Team

POULIN, SPOONER PICK UP HAT TRICKS AS CANADA TOPS CZECH REPUBLIC 11-2

One down, four to go for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2008 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship.

Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC) and Canadian Player of the Game Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, ON) each had a hat trick as Canada opened the first-ever world championship at the women’s Under-18 level with an 11-2 win over the Czech Republic on Monday night.

Poulin added two assists for a tournament-high five-point night as 11 of Canada’s 16 skaters – and eight of the ten forwards – recorded at least a point.

The 16-year-old sniper opened the scoring for Canada at the game’s seven-minute mark, taking a pass from Camille Dumais (Beaconsfield, QC) and snapping the puck past goaltender Katerina Becevova, who picked up Player of the Game honours for the Czechs after a 38-save performance.

After Carolyne Prevost (Sarnia, ON) pushed the lead to two just two minutes after the Poulin goal, expertly tipping in a Sam Watt (Cremona, AB) point shot, Spooner got her first with a spectacular individual effort, undressing Becevova before backhanding the puck into the gaping net.

She added her second three minutes later in a much more workman-like fashion, jamming the puck home after a scramble in front of the Czech goal.

Prevost picked up her second early in the middle frame before the Czechs surprised the Canadians with their first goal, as Canadian goaltender Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, MB) was unable to control a rebound and Nikola Tomigova was the beneficiary, knocking the puck past Brian to cut the lead to 5-1.

Spooner set up Catherine White (Brampton, ON) to restore Canada’s five-goal lead, and completed her hat trick five minutes later, roofing the puck from the side of the goal with Becevova down and out.

Poulin added her second of the game in the period’s dying minutes as Canada took an 8-1 lead into the intermission.

Dumais, Poulin and Brianne Jenner (St. Catharines, ON) rounded out the scoring for Canada in the third period, while Lucie Povova had the Czech’s lone marker of the final 20 minutes.

Canada returns to the ice at Father David Bauer Arena on Tuesday night, when they face the Germany, who upset Finland 4-2 in their opener on Monday. That game goes at 7:45 p.m. MT.

The Czechs will face Finland in a battle of winless teams, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. MT at Norma Bush Arena.