2016-17 National Women's Under-18 Team

CANADA BLANKS SWEDEN TO FINISH PRE-WORLDS SCHEDULE

JASON LA ROSE

ZLIN, Czech Republic – Edith D’Astous-Moreau (Laval, Que./Nepean, PWHL) stopped all 17 shots directed her way to record the shutout, pacing Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team to a 3-0 win over Sweden on Thursday in its second and final pre-IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship game.

It was the first of two meetings between the teams in a span of three days; the Canadians and Swedes face off Saturday in the Group A opener for both in Zlin (1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT).

Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pacific, JWHL) led the Canadian charge with a goal and an assist, while Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) and Gabrielle David (Drummondville, Que./Limoilou, CEGEP) added goals to the offensive output.

Canada controlled the play in the first period, outshooting Sweden 14-3, but couldn’t manage to get a puck past goaltender Sofia Reid Born, who finished the game with 28 saves.

Fillier broke through early in the second, redirecting in a feed from Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) to put the Canadians up 1-0 just 1:54 into the middle frame.

Born went back to work after that, keeping Canada off the scoreboard for almost 26 minutes before Potomak picked off a pass at the Swedish blue-line and snuck a shot past the goaltender to double the lead at 7:49 of the third period.

She did most of the work on the third goal, spinning away from a Swedish forward to keep the play alive and carrying the puck behind the net before centering for David, who hammered a one-timer past Born to finish the scoring with less than three minutes left.

Sweden had most of its offensive chances in the third period, outshooting Canada 11-8 in the final 20 minutes, but D’Astous-Moreau stopped them all to finish her shutout.

The Canadians finished pre-tournament play with two wins in as many games, including a 4-3 overtime victory over HC Slavoj Velké Popovice, a Czech boys team, on Tuesday.