2017-18 National Women's Under-18 Team

CANADA FALLS IN OPENER AT U18 WORLDS

JASON LA ROSE

DMITROV, Russia – Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) and Maggie MacEachern (Brooklin, Ont./Whitby, PWHL) scored in the third period, but Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team finished a goal short in a 3-2 loss to Russia on Saturday at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

The Canadians held a one-sided edge in shots on goal, 36-14, but were continuously denied by Russian goaltender Diana Farkhutdinova and fell to the Russians for the first time in 10 all-time meetings.

The hosts were first on the scoreboard when Maria Alexandrova let go a wrist shot from the high slot that got past the glove of Canadian netminder Madelyn McArthur (St. Catharines, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) at 13:27.

Daria Beloglazova doubled the advantage just shy of the 13-minute mark of the second period, spinning in the slot and beating McArthur for a power-play goal that made it a 2-0 game after two,

Canada got within a goal early in the third period when Fillier collected a loose puck in close and went upstairs on Farkhutdinova on the power play, but Oxana Bratisheva buried another man-advantage goal just over six minutes later to put Russia back up by a pair.

MacEachern made it interesting with 7:36 to go, beating Farkhutdinova with a wrist shot through traffic, but that would be as close as the Canadians would get despite a flurry of late chances with McArthur on the bench.

Canada is back in action Sunday (11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT), taking on Sweden as preliminary-round play continues.