2017-18 National Women's Under-18 Team

CANADA RUNS U18 MEDAL STREAK TO 11, BEATS HOSTS FOR BRONZE

JASON LA ROSE

DMITROV, Russia - Alexie Guay (Magog, Que./Stanstead College, NAPHA) scored once and added two assists, leading Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team to a 5-1 win over Russia on Saturday and the bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship.

It's the 11th consecutive year the Canadians have medalled at U18 women's worlds; they now have four gold medals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014), six silver (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017) and a bronze.

Canada controlled the puck for much of the first period, outshooting Russia 11-3, but it took until the final minute of the opening frame for Julia Gosling (London, Ont./London, PWHL) to jam in a rebound on the power play and put the Canadians up 1-0.

Audrey-Anne Veillette (Drummondville Que./Stanstead College, NAPHA) doubled the advantage just past the six-minute mark of the second period when she took a feed from Guay and snapped a quick shot past Russian netminder Diana Farkhutdinova, and Abygail Moloughney (Nepean, Ont./Nepean, PWHL) converted on a shorthanded breakaway at 14:03 to make it a three-goal game.

Buoyed by a partisan crowd of more than 2,500 at the Ice Palace, the Russians ramped up the offence in the third period, directing nine shots at Canadian netminder Madelyn McArthur (St. Catharines, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) after recording only six through 40 minutes.

But Canada racked up 17 shots in the final stanza, and added two more power-play goals - Courtney Vorster (Richmond, B.C./Shattuck-St. Mary's, USHS) got her point shot past Farkhutdinova just 19 seconds into the period, and Guay scored her first of the tournament - which was confirmed after a video review - at 8:37.

Vita Ponyatovskaya ended the shutout bid by McArthur with 11 minutes to go, but the Russians never got closer than four goals as the Canadians avenged their 3-2 preliminary-round loss.

Guay finished the tournament as the leading scorer for Canada, and the leading scorer among all defencemen, registering a goal and six assists in six games.