2015-16 National Women's Development Team

CANADA DROPS DEVELOPMENT SERIES OPENER TO U.S.

WENDY GRAVES

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Cayley Mercer (Exeter, Ont./Clarkson University, ECAC) got Canada’s National Women’s Development Team on the board first, but the team couldn’t build on its lead, surrendering four unanswered goals and falling to the United States 4-1 in the opener of a three-game series in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The all-time series between the two teams is now tied at 16-16-2.

Shannon MacAulay (Mount Herbert, P.E.I./Clarkson University, ECAC) and Rebecca Kohler (St. Thomas, Ont./University of North Dakota, WCHA) picked up the assists on Mercer’s goal.

Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Harvard University, ECAC) and Amanda Leveille (Kingston, Ont./University of Minnesota, WCHA) split time in net for Canada.

Dana Trivigno, Hannah Brandt, Haley Skarupa and Sydney Daniels scored for the United States. Goalie Nicole Hensley picked up the win.

With several players having met before at the development level, as well as at the under-18 and national team levels, the intensity was there from puck drop.

It was Canada getting on the board first just short of the midway mark of the opening period, with Mercer finding the puck amid plenty of traffic in front of the USA net.

Canada had several quality chances to double its lead on a late first period power play, including sending a puck off the top of the crossbar.

Early in the second Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) crossed to Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, BCMAAA) alone in front, but the youngest member of the Canadian team put the redirect just over the crossbar.

After playing a perfect 29 minutes, Maschmeyer gave way to Leveille, who didn’t fair quite as well. Only five minutes after taking the ice, Trivigno faked Leveille to her right, then slide the puck under the goalie’s glove near post.

And only 2:25 later the Americans took their first lead. Leveille initially stopped Brandt on the two-on-one with Amy Menke, but the puck then slid under her pads.

With Jessica Healey (Edmonton, Alta./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) in the box for roughing early in the third, the Americans extended their lead, with Skarupa easily tapping in Jenny Ryan’s centering pass.

Daniels finished off the scoring with a wrist shot that beat Leveille glove side with just under four left in the third.

The two teams are back on the ice Friday at 2:40 p.m. ET/11:40 a.m. PT.