2008-09 National Women's Team

Team White 3 - Team Red 2 (Shootout)
 

BIRCHARD’S SHOOTOUT WINNER GIVES WHITE WIN OVER RED

It just kept going, and going, and going.

Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) scored the game-winning goal in the 13th round of the shootout as Canada White earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over Canada Red on Friday night at the National Women’s Team evaluation camp in Calgary.

After Cathy Chartrand (Lac Nominingue, QC/McGill University, CIS) missed Canada Red’s 13th attempt, Birchard beat Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, QC/McGill University, CIS) through the five-hole to give Canada White, made up mostly of Canada’s up-and-coming young players, a win over Canada Red, comprised mainly of National Women’s Team veterans.

Canada White picked up the win despite being outshot 40-22 over three periods of regulation time and overtime.

Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, AB/Grant MacEwan College, ACAC), who replaced starting goaltender Laura Hosier (Sharon, ON/Brampton, CWHL) at the game’s midway point, made 28 saves in her 35 minutes of work, and then stopped 10 of the 13 shooters in the shootout to earn the win for Canada White.

Both Hosier and Canada Red starter Kim St-Pierre (Châteauguay, QC/Montreal, CWHL) stood tall in their half-game, each turning aside all 10 shots they faced before giving way to Szabados and Labonté, respectively.

Canada White finally broke through against Labonté with just over three minutes to go in the second period, as Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, QC/Harvard University, ECAC) took a perfect cross-crease pass from Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON/University of New Hampshire, HE) and redirected it past the Canada Red netminder for a 1-0 lead.

But Canada White got itself into penalty trouble late in the second frame and early in the third, giving Canada Red almost six minutes of consecutive powerplay time. Near the end of its extended man advantage Red got on the board, although it did it without the use of a hockey stick.

In an attempt to ice the puck from behind its net, a Canada White defender inadvertently banked the puck off the shoulder of Canada Red penalty killer Sabrina Harbec (Montreal, QC/Montreal, CWHL) and past Szabados, pulling Red even.

Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, AB/Edmonton, WWHL) made sure the tie game lasted just 2:08, however, stepping in from her spot on the blueline and snapping a shot over the blocker of Labonté with Canada White enjoying a two-man advantage.

Again Canada Red turned to its powerplay to draw even, and it was National Women’s Team veteran Jayna Hefford (Kingston, ON/Brampton, CWHL) who did the goal scoring duties, redirecting a Becky Kellar (Hagersville, ON/Burlington, CWHL) point shot past Szabados just 1:54 after Mikkelson’s go-ahead goal.

Canada Red swarmed Szabados and the Canada White net in the third period, holding a ridiculous 23-5 advantage in shots on goal, but the White defence stood tall, forcing overtime, which ended without a winner.

After all three shooters for each team missed on their shootout opportunities, Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Calgary, WWHL) connected for a Canada Red goal, which was answered immediately by Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Montreal, CWHL) for Canada White.

Noémie Marin (Acton-Vale, QC/Montreal, CWHL) and Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, ON/Ohio State University, WCHA) swapped goals in round seven, and Ashley Riggs (Pickering, ON/Niagara University, CHA) and Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, ON/Mercyhurst College, CHA) did the same in round 12, setting up Birchard’s heroics on the 26th shot of the shootout.

The loss eliminates Canada Red from contention for Sunday’s championship game, while Canada White will have to wait until the conclusion of Saturday’s action to determine when and who they will play on the camp’s final day.

Canada White wraps up round-robin play against the Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m. MDT), while Canada Red will hit the ice at 4 p.m. MDT to face the UFA Bisons, who topped Calgary 3-2 in a shootout in Friday’s first game.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement Evaluation Camp Location/Emplacement Calgary, AB
Date Fri. Sep. 19, 2008 Arena/Aréna Father David Bauer Arena
Time/Heure 8:00 pm Attendance/Assistance 303
Round/Ronde Exhibition Game # 04

 

Box Score/Compte

1

2

3

OT

SO

Final

WHT

0

1

1

0

1

3

RED

0

0

2

0

0

2

 

Goals/Penalties
First Period/Première période

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:48 RED Carla MacLeod (Holding)
02:52 WHT Emmanuelle Blais (Hooking)
15:55 WHT Vicki Bendus (Slashing)
17:54 RED Noémie Marin (Hooking)

Second Period/Deuxième période

Goals/Buts :
16:44 WHT Sarah Vaillancourt (Jennifer Wakefield, Lauriane Rougeau)

Penalties/Pénalités :
00:24 RED Becky Kellar (Hooking)
04:54 RED Gillian Apps (Kneeing)
08:22 RED Cherie Piper (Hooking)
17:56 WHT Annie Guay (Interference)
19:36 WHT Dominique Thibault (Roughing)

Third Period/Troisième période

Goals/Buts :
03:56 RED Sabrina Harbec PP
06:04 WHT Meaghan Mikkelson (Caroline Ouellette, Vicki Bendus) PP2
07:58 RED Jayna Hefford (Becky Kellar, Carla MacLeod) PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
00:25 WHT Annie Guay (Hooking)
02:38 WHT Ann-Sophie Bettez (Tripping)
05:10 RED Gillian Apps (Slashing)
05:34 RED Kelly Bechard (Hooking)
06:12 WHT Haley Irwin (Hooking)
09:06 RED Colleen Sostorics (Hooking)
16:29 WHT Dominique Thibault (Hooking)
18:00 WHT Jocelyne Larocque (Hooking)

Overtime/Prolongation

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
02:15 RED Kelly Bechard (Tripping)

Shootout/Tirs de barrage

Goals/Buts :
RED Jayna Hefford – NO GOAL
WHT Sarah Vaillancourt – NO GOAL
RED Jennifer Botterill – NO GOAL
WHT Meghan Agosta – NO GOAL
RED Hayley Wickenheiser – NO GOAL
WHT Meaghan Mikkelson – NO GOAL
RED Gina Kingsbury – GOAL
WHT Caroline Ouellette – GOAL
RED Kelly Bechard – NO GOAL
WHT Rebecca Johnston – NO GOAL
RED Sabrina Harbec – NO GOAL
WHT Laura Fridfinnson – NO GOAL
RED Noémie Marin – GOAL
WHT Natalie Spooner – GOAL
RED Delaney Collins – NO GOAL
WHT Annie Guay – NO GOAL
RED Tessa Bonhomme – NO GOAL

 

Goaltenders WHT 30 Laura Hosier (OUT – 2ND/10:13) 10/10
1 Shannon Szabados (IN – 2ND/10:14) 28/30
Gardiens de but RED 33 Kim St-Pierre (OUT – 2ND/10:27) 10/10
32 Charline Labonté (IN – 2ND/10:28) 10/12

Shots on Goal Team 1 p 2 p 3 p OT Ttl
Shots on Goal WHT 5 12 5 0 22
Tirs au but RED 7 9 23 1 40

 

For more information:
André Brin Director, Communications | Directeur, relations médias