2009-10 National Women's Team

CANADA ENDS MIDGET SERIES WITH SHOOTOUT LOSS TO FLAMES

CALGARY, Alta. – Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.), Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) and Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.) scored goals 4:51 apart early in the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 advantage, but Canada’s National Women’s Team could not hold the lead and came out on the short end of a 5-4 shootout decision against the Calgary Flames on Friday night.

The game marked the end of the NWT Midget Series – Canada finished with a 16-10 record against teams from the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

It was the Flames who carried the play in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting Canada 13-6 and taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Spencer Brennan, who chipped a rebound past Canadian netminder Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) on a Calgary power play.

Canada would tie the game just 65 seconds into the second period, as Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) took advantage of a fortuitous bounce in the slot and snapped a shot over the blocker of Flames goaltender Alexander Caravaggio, but Calgary captain Kieran O’Neil restored the one-goal lead late in the middle frame.

Apps drove the net to tie the game at the 2:29 mark of the third period, taking a few whacks at the puck before finally knocking it past Caravaggio, Agosta gave Canada its first lead at 4:53, slipping the puck under Caravaggio on a Canadian power play, and Vaillancourt picked up a Catherine Ward (Montreal, Que.) rebound and deposited it past Caravaggio at 7:20 for a two-goal advantage.

But just as they did on Wednesday night in a shootout win over the Calgary Royals, Canada could not hold the lead and power play goals from O’Neil and Gianni Mangone forced overtime.

After an end-to-end extra frame failed to produce the winner, Canada failed on five-consecutive shootout attempts, with Jayna Hefford (twice), Vaillancourt (twice) and Ouellette all missing on their shots.

Brandon Long finally won it for the Flames in the fifth round, snapping a shot over the glove of Szabados.

Canada departs Sunday for a week in Jasper, Alta., before heading to Vancouver, where it opens the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 13 against Slovakia.

Goals/Buts:
03:24 FLA Spencer Brennan (Brennan Baxandall, Gianni Mangone) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
02:17 CAN Gina Kingsbury (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
07:14 FLA Hayley Wickenheiser (Roughing/Rudesse)
07:14 FLA Carter Page (Roughing/Rudesse)
14:32 CAN Meaghan Mikkelson (Hooking /Accrocher)

Goals/Buts:
01:05 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Jayna Hefford, Gillian Ferrari)
17:24 FLA Kieran O'Neil (Connor Stevenson, Connor Mailey)

Penalties/Punitions:
03:55 FLA Andrew Beaule (Hooking /Accrocher)
08:09 CAN Haley Irwin (Cross Checking/Double-échec)
11:40 CAN Gillian Apps (Interference/Obstruction)

Goals/Buts:
02:29 CAN Gillian Apps (Cherie Piper, Tessa Bonhomme)
04:53 CAN Meghan Agosta (Marie-Philip Poulin, Hayley Wickenheiser) PP/AN
07:20 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Catherine Ward, Haley Irwin) PP/AN
09:54 FLA Gianni Mangone (Connor Garden, Andrew Beaule) PP/AN
11:58 FLA Kieran O'Neil (Brandon Long, Carter Page) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
08:55 CAN Bench (Too Many Players/Trop de joueuses) served by Haley Irwin
11:36 CAN Meghan Agosta (Hooking /Accrocher)
14:08 FLA Connor Garden (Tripping/Faire trébucher)

Goals/Buts:
None/Aucun

Penalties/Punitions:
None/Aucun

CAN Sarah Vaillancourt NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
FLA Robert Franceschin NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
CAN Jayna Hefford NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
FLA Spencer Brennan NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
CAN Caroline Ouellette NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
FLA Kieran O'Neil NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
CAN Jayna Hefford NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
FLA Carter Page NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
CAN Sarah Vaillancourt NO GOAL/AUCUN BUT
FLA Brandon Long GOAL/BUT