2009 IIHF Women's World Championship

APPS GETS GAME-WINNER IN 3-1 WIN

HELSINKI, Finland – Canada’s National Women’s Team is off to a winning start in pre-tournament action in preparation for the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championship.

Tessa Bonhomme (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, WWHL) scored in the first period and Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) and Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que./Montreal, CWHL) added goals in the second as Canada defeated EHC Red Devil, a local Midget AAA boys team, 3-1 on Saturday.

Bonhomme got Canada going at 16:00 of the first when she finished a pretty give and go with Ouellette. Bonhomme fed Ouellette the puck, accepted a return pass, took a shot and then buried the second chance to make it 1-0.

Apps scored the eventual game-winning goal at 5:05 of the second. Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./University of Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA) made a nice play when she chipped the puck past an EFC defenceman along the boards, skated hard after the loose puck to create a 2-on-1, and then finished with a perfect pass to Apps, who made no mistake.

Canada made it 3-0 at 14:11 of the second on a classic Ouellette goal. The Canadian forward skated hard down the right side and wired a shot past EFC goaltender Obinna Puscasu.

Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, Que./McGill, CIS) went the distance in net for Canada, making 22 saves for the victory. Her shutout bid ended at 16:44 of the third when EFC forward Jani Punnala was awarded a penalty shot.

Punnala fired a wrist shot just under the cross bar for the Finnish team’s lone goal.

Canada’s National Women’s Team returns to the on Sunday, when it will face the Espoo Blues. Canada will play its third and final exhibition game on Tuesday against Finland’s National Women’s Team.

The 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championship kicks off on April 4, with Canada opening the tournament versus China. Follow all of the action at www.hockeycanada.ca.

Goals/Buts :
16:00 CAN Tessa Bonhomme (Caroline Ouellette, Jennifer Botterill)

Penalties/Pénalités :
09:40 CAN Carla MacLeod (Tripping/Trébucher)

Goals/Buts :
05:05 CAN Gillian Apps (Haley Irwin)
14:11 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Becky Kellar)

Penalties/Pénalités :
02:38 CAN Gina Kingsbury (Hooking/Accrocher)
08:04 EHC Jere Engberg (Interference/Obstruction)
10:51 EHC Joona Olenius (Interference/Obstruction)
17:33 CAN Carla MacLeod (Tripping/Trébucher)
19:56 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Body-checking/Mise en échec)

Goals/Buts :
16:44 EHC Jani Punnala (PS)

Penalties/Pénalités :
02:53 EHC Kim Lindblom (Tripping/Trébucher)
07:28 CAN Marie-Philip Poulin (Tripping/Trébucher)
12:31 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Hooking/Accrocher)