CANADA DEFEATS GERMANY TO ADVANCE TO SEMI-FINAL AT 2008 EUROPEAN AIR CANADA CUP

RAVENSBURG, Germany – Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team took to the ice in front of a boisterous pro-German capacity crowd at the Ravensburg Eissporthalle on Friday night, and used a balanced scoring attack to come away with a 7-0 win over Germany at the 2008 European Air Canada Cup.

The win locked up a semi-final berth for the Canadians, who will face Sweden on Saturday in the final four.

Emmanuelle Blais (Montreal,QC/University of Minnesota Duluth,WCHA) got Canada on the board early, connecting just shy of the three-minute mark of the opening period.

Blais took a pass from Melanie Gagnon (St. Adolphe, MB/Univeristy of Minnesota,WCHA), undressed the German defender and beat goaltender Yvonne Schroeder with a well-placed shot low to the blocker side.

Canadian captain Valerie Chouinard (Matane, QC, Mercyhurst-CHA) upped the lead to 2-0 as she deposited a rebound past Schroeder late in the period, with helpers going to linemates Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON/Mercyhurst College, CHA) and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, ON/Cornell University, ECAC).

As in Thursday’s game against Russia, the Canadians once again came out firing to start the second period, and were rewarded when Gagnon who blasted a shot past Schroeder to up the lead to 3-0 at 4:08 on a Canadian powerplay.

Stephanie Jones (Grande Prairie, AB/Mercyhurst College, CHA), who won the face-off back to Gagnon, picked up the lone assist.

It took less than two minutes for the Canadian offence to strike again, as Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) took a centering pass from Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) and roofed the puck over the screened German goaltender.

Haley Irwin increased the lead to 5-0 at the midpoint of the period and Johnston converted a centring pass from Agosta to make the score 6-0 at 14:44. That signaled the end of the night for Schroeder as Viona Harrer entered the German goal.

Harrer stood her ground, as the Canadians were only able to solve her once in her 23 minutes of work, as Scanzano banged home a pass from Wakefield at 8:55 of the final frame.

Canadian penalties threatened the shutout bid of goaltender Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, AB/Grant MacEwan College, ACAC) in the final three-and-a-half minutes, but Szabados and the Canadian defense shut the door down the stretch.

The Canadians – who are looking for their sixth championship in as many years at this event – held a 40-18 advantage in shots on goal.

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Goals/Buts :
CAN Emmanuelle Blais (Melanie Gagnon) 2:48
CAN Valerie Chouinard (Meghan Agosta, Rebecca Johnston) 15:53

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN Courtney Birchard (Holding) 13:36
CAN Andrea Bevan (Hooking) 19:23

Goals/Buts :
CAN Melanie Gagnon (Stephanie Jones) 4:08 PP
CAN Courtney Birchard (Jennifer Wakefield, Jesse Scanzano) 5:41
CAN Haley Irwin (Laura Fridfinnson) 10:29
CAN Rebecca Johnston (Meghan Agosta, Cristin Allen) 14:44

Penalties/Pénalités :
GER Susanne Fellner (Tripping) 3:31
GER Jessica Hammerl (Hooking) 9:02
CAN Jocelyne Larocque (Holding) 9:25
GER Jessica Hammerl (Holding) 19:52

Goals/Buts :
CAN Jesse Scanzano (Jennifer Wakefield) 8:55

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN Emmanuelle Blais (Interference) 10:47
GER Andrea Lanzl (Boarding) 11:55
GER Maritta Becker (Hooking) 12:56
CAN Jennifer Wakefield (Slashing) 16:33
CAN Laura Fridfinnson (Holding) 17:06
CAN Haley Irwin (Hooking) 18:30