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GAME SUMMARY
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POTTER POTS A PAIR OF GOALS FOR U.S. WOMEN IN 4-2 WIN OVER CANADA
VANCOUVER – Canada caught fire in the third period against its biggest women's hockey rival, but by then it
was far too late.
Jenny Potter scored a pair of goals, her second short-handed, as the United States beat Canada 4-2 Thursday
at the Hockey Canada Cup women's tournament. Potter's second goal put the Americans up 2-0 early in the
third.
The two sides traded a pair of goals before game's end, but the U.S. made the most of their head start in
front of 6,833 at GM Place.
“Disappointed with the loss no question, but I thought we did some good things too,” Canadian head coach
Melody Davidson said. “We played a terrific third period and played with a great sense of urgency and
desperation.”
The rival countries were 2-1 to conclude the preliminary round of the Olympic test event, followed by Finland
and Sweden at 1-2. Sweden beat Finland 3-1 earlier Thursday.
Canada meets Sweden and the Americans and Finns square off in Saturday's semifinal round with the winners
advancing to Sunday's final. Finland upset the U.S. 3-2 to open the tournament Monday.
TSN will carry Sunday's final on tape delay (midnight ET). The rest of the games can be viewed on Hockey
Canada's website via webcast.
The U.S. improved to 5-2 versus Canada in their last seven meetings, including victories in the last two
world championship finals.
Thursday's game was the first of up to 10 meetings between the two countries as they prepare for the Olympic
Games in Vancouver next February. The gold-medal game will be played Feb. 25 at GM Place.
“Playing in this rink and playing in front of the crowd, which was amazing whether they're cheering for us or
against us, I think is a great starting point for all of us,” Potter said. “It gives us something to look
forward to coming up in February.”
Kerry Weiland and Hilary Knight also scored for the U.S. Meghan Agosta of Ruthven, Ont., and Brianne Jenner
of Oakville, Ont., replied for the hosts, who fell behind 3-0 before Agosta's goal midway through the
third.
U.S. goalie Molly Schaus, who played for Boston College last season, made 26 saves.
Edmonton's Shannon Szabados suffered her first loss in her 10th start for Canada. Her performance in the
first half of the game kept the score 1-0 because her teammates were often in the penalty box. She made 28
saves in the loss.
After beating Finland and Sweden by a combined score of 17-0 to open the tournament, Canada suddenly had to
contend with a team that forced them to defend their own end and took away their time and space with the
puck.
The hosts didn't handle the new pressure well initially as they spent three and a half minutes killing a
two-man U.S. advantage in the first period.
The Canadians had more composure in the second period, but didn't cycle the puck down low in the attacking
zone as they did against the Scandinavians. Back-to-back odd-man rushes didn't produce a goal and neither did
three power-play chances in the second period.
“We got ourselves I think 12 minutes in penalties in the first period and we were fighting from behind and
missing on some key chances,” captain Hayley Wickenheiser said. “We had multiple chances to tie the game and
move ahead so I feel like we kind of gave the game away.”
The 26 players invited to try out for Canada's Olympic team have been training together since the beginning
of August. The U.S. held a training camp prior to this tournament and brought 23 players to the
tournament.
“We've got line combinations that are different every game and a lot of things are changing and going on with
our group, but at the same time when you're in these games, you've got to execute no matter what and under
any type of situation,” Wickenheiser said. “We need to better. We all know that and we get maybe one more
chance to do that.”
Potter caught the hosts flat-footed in their own their own zone in the final seconds of Canadian power play
to start the third period. She roofed a pass from the boards from Knight for a short-handed goal 58 seconds
in.
The U.S. emerged from the first period with a 1-0 lead on Potter's power-play goal, but the damage to
Canadians could have been worse.
They were two players short for three and a half minutes because of lack of discipline around their own net
and along the boards.
After Catherine Ward's cross-check to Caitlin Cahow in Canada's crease, forward Gillian Apps and defenceman
Becky Kellar both went to the penalty box at the same time for bodychecking, which isn't allowed in women's
hockey, at 14:10.
Canada managed to kill off the Americans' two-man advantage, but because they were short-handed for so long,
generated few scoring chances on Schaus in the first period.
Potter's goal at 5:53 of the first period was the first goal Szabados had given up to the U.S. in three
starts after shutouts at the 2007 and 2008 Four Nations Cups.
The ill-will each side bears the other surfaced in the first period when Wickenheiser and Kacey Bellamy got
into a shoving match beside the U.S. crease.
Canada's healthy scratches were defencemen Colleen Sostorics and Gillian Ferrari of as well as forward Haley
Irwin. Goaltender Charline Labonté (ankle) forward Jennifer Wakefield (shoulder) and defender Delaney Collins
(post-concussion) also sat out. |
| Game Information/Reseignements sur
le match |
| Event/Événement |
Hockey Canada Cup |
Location/Emplacement |
Vancouver, BC, CAN |
| Date |
Thu. Sep. 3, 2009 |
Arena/Aréna |
GM Place |
| Time/Heure |
19:30 PT |
Attendance/Assistance |
-,--- |
| Round/Ronde |
Preliminary |
Game # |
06 |
| Box Score/Compte |
1
|
2
|
3
|
Final
|
| CAN |
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
| USA |
1
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
| Goals/Penalties |
| First Period/Première période |
Goals/Buts:
05:53 USA Jenny Potter (Hilary Knight, Kacey Bellamy) PP/AN
Penalties/Punitions:
00:20 USA Kacey Bellamy (Hooking/Accrocher)
05:27 CAN Jayna Hefford (Interference/Obstruction)
12:02 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
12:33 CAN Catherine Ward (Roughing/Rudesse)
14:10 CAN Gillian Apps (Body-checking/ Mise en échec corporelle)
14:10 CAN Becky Kellar (Body-checking/ Mise en échec corporelle) |
| Second Period/Deuxième période |
Goals/Buts:
No Scoring.
Penalties/Buts:
01:30 CAN Jocelyne Larocque (Hooking/Accrocher)
04:45 CAN Cherie Piper (Interference/Obstruction)
06:05 USA Meghan Duggan (Slashing/Coup de baton)
15:15 USA Jocelyne Lamoureux (High-sticking/Bâton élevé)
19:03 USA Caitlin Cahow (Kneeing/Donner de genou) |
| Third Period/Troisième période |
Goals/Buts:
00:58 USA Jenny Potter (Hilary Knight, Molly Engstrom)
09:06 USA Kerry Weiland (Natalie Darwitz)
10:25 CAN Meghan Agosta (Hayley Wickenheiser)
11:30 USA Hilary Knight (Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej)
13:31 CAN Brianne Jenner (Tessa Bonhomme, Meaghan Mikkelson) PP/AN
Penalties/Punitions:
12:19 USA Kerry Weiland (Tripping/Faire trébucher) |
| Goaltenders |
CAN |
Shannon Szabados |
| Gardiens de but |
USA |
Molly Schaus |
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| Shots on Goal |
Team |
1 p |
2 p |
3 p |
Ttl |
| Shots on Goal |
CAN |
7 |
11 |
11 |
29 |
| Tirs au but |
USA |
11 |
11 |
10 |
32 |
|
| Referee/Arbitre |
--- |
| Linesmen/Juges des lignes |
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For more information:
André Brin Manager, Communications | Premier responsable, relations médias
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