Series vs. USA
August 20, 2003
Pierrefonds, QC
Sportplexe 4 Glaces

Canada's National Under-22 Team in Pierrefonds, QC on Wednesday in front of a crowd of 325 fans. The appreciative crowd included Canadian Olympic gold medallists Therese Brisson, Caroline Ouellette and Kim St-Pierre, out to support the upcoming stars of women's hockey in Canada.

Canada, with the youngest roster in the five year history of the Under-22 program, started off as could be expected. Nervously. The USA carried the play, outshooting the host side 12-3, although goaltender Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, QC) was only tested from the perimeter. The game was scoreless through twenty minutes of play.

Early in the second, Labonté was called upon for a great save upon when U.S. Olympian and silver medalist Natalie Darwitz was left alone by the side of the net for a point blank chance. During a two-player advantage, Canada had it's best chance as Jeni Creary (Shell Lake, SK) was stymied by U.S. goaltender Jody Horak from in close.

USA finally solved Labonté later that frame, as Rush Zimmerman tallied at 12:58 to give the U.S. side a 1-0 lead. Canada evened the score in the dying moments of the middle frame, as Gillian Apps (Unionville, ON) and Kaley Hall (Calgary, AB) combined to steel the puck from a U.S. defender at the Canadian blueline and Apps pulled away from two U.S. defenders to beat Horak.

In the third, USA took another lead. Sarah Parsons put a loose rebound past Labonté at 9:27. But Canada once again fought back. Team captain Carla McLeod sped in front the point and found a loose puck that she put past Horak at 10:44. Despite being outshot 41-15, Canada manages to salvage a 2-2 tie.