2016-17 National Women's Development Team

CANADA FALLS TO GERMANY IN PRE-NATIONS CUP ACTION

JASON LA ROSE

PFRONTEN, Germany – An early lead didn’t stand up, and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team dropped a 3-2 decision to Germany on Monday in its lone pre-tournament game ahead of the 2017 Nations Cup.

It’s just the second time in 24 all-time meetings that Canada has lost to Germany, and the first since 2006.

The Germans struck quickly, with Laura Kluge putting the tournament co-hosts up 1-0 less than five minutes after the puck dropped with an unassisted effort to beat Canadian goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Calgary, CWHL).

Sarah Davis (Paradise, N.L./Calgary, CWHL) responded just past the nine-minute mark, scoring shorthanded with Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ont./University of Minnesota, WCHA) off for hooking, and Jade Downie-Landry (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que./McGill University, RSEQ) gave Canada its first lead less than two minutes later.

But that would be it for Canadian offence; it would not put another puck behind netminder Jennifer Harss, and the Germans battled back in the latter half of the second period.

Anna Fiegert made good on the third German power play, tying the game 2-2 at 11:55, and Ronja Jenike put the Europeans ahead for good at 14:34 off a set-up from Emily Nix.

A scoreless third period left the Canadians one goal short, despite outshooting Germany 34-19.

They will open their quest for a fourth-consecutive gold medal at the Nations Cup on Wednesday (10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT), facing off against the Czech Republic in the first of three preliminary-round games.