2014 4 Nations Cup

IRWIN, JOHNSTON CUE ANOTHER CANADIAN COMEBACK

Wendy Graves

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) scored 46 seconds apart in the third period as Canada erased a late one-goal deficit to defeat the United States and send 4,500 fans home happy Wednesday night.

With just over five minutes to play, Irwin reeled in a centering pass just behind her in the slot, spun and slid the puck in on her backhand.

Less than a minute later, with Hilary Knight sitting two for roughing, Johnston tipped Courtney Birchard’s (Mississauga, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) point shot past American goalie Alex Rigsby.

Johnston finished with two goals on the night. Birchard and Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) added two assists each, while Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, Man./Calgary, CWHL) and Halli Krzyzaniak (Neepawa, Man./University of North Dakota, WCHA) added an assist a piece. The point was Krzyzaniak’s first with the National Women’s Team.

Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, Ont./Boston, CWHL) made 30 saves in the win.

Dani Cameranesi and Shiann Darkangelo scored for the Americans. Rigsby made 18 saves in the loss.

The game marked the first time the two sides had seen each other since the gold medal game of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite the fact that half of the players on each roster were not in Sochi, the intensity that’s come to define the rivalry was still there.

The Americans got on the board first only two minutes in. Some sustained pressure down low ended when Emily Pfalzer sent a pass from below the goal line out front to Cameranesi. Her initial shot was stopped, but the winger whacked in the rebound.

Canada equalized midway through the period on the power play. Rattray fed Bram below the goal line, who one-timed a pass to Johnston in front.

The Americans regained the lead 4:18 into the second on a power play of their own, when Darkangelo pounced on a rebound just outside the crease.

There are no games Thursday at the 4 Nations Cup. Canada next plays Friday night (10 pm ET/7 pm PT) against Finland, while the United States takes on Sweden in the afternoon (4 pm ET/1 pm PT).