CANADA'S UNDER-22 TEAM SECURES SPOT IN MLP CUP FINAL WITH 9-0 ROUT OF RUSSIA

KREUZLINGEN, Switzerland – Chelsea Karpenko and Bailey Bram scored two goals apiece to lift Canada's under-22 women's hockey team to the gold medal game of the MLP Cup with a 9-0 rout of Russia on Friday.

Vicki Bendus added a goal and three assists, while Laura Fortino, Natalie Spooner, Isabel Menard and Catharine White also scored for Canada, the defending champion of the six-country tournament.

“I thought we were very disciplined all around, penalty-wise, system wise, and today I thought we played a good 60-minute game, and we got better,” Canadian coach Jim Fetter said in a phone interview. “From when we got here to today I think we've taken steps forward and we've improved. We've just one more game to finish it off.”

Canada plays the winner of Friday's other semifinal between Germany and Sweden in Saturday's championship game. The United States is not participating in the event.

Canada outshot Russia 48-13, with the Russians pulling starting goalie Anna Prugova after the first period in favour of Valentina Ostrovlyanchik.

“We outplayed them, we controlled the game, but they had a goalie that was not their number one, and we were able to score some goals on her that may not have gone in on the other goaltender,” Fetter. “So I don't think the score really reflected the game. We were just able to get some goal and got some confidence off that.”

Canadian goaltender Roxanne Douville earned her second shutout in as many days.

Fetter had used Canada's heartbreaking loss to Russia in the gold-medal game of world junior championships for motivation.

“Yeah, without a doubt we talked about that,” Fetter said. “You've got to make sure you can bring your best and are able to bring your best every game, and I think that goes along with being able to prepare yourself and take care of your body throughout the whole tournament.”

Canada has dominated all three of their games at the MLP Cup, beating Switzerland 5-0 and Germany 9-0 in the preliminary round.

Goals/Buts : 
01.09 CAN 27 Vicki Bendus (14 Courtney Birchard)
13:58 CAN 23 Laura Fortino (Bailey Bram, 27 Vicki Bendus)
16:18 CAN 8 Natalie Spooner PS

Penalties/Pénalités : 
0:31 RUS 27 Inna Dyobuanok (Body Checking)

Goals/Buts : 
01:27 CAN 16 Chelsea Karpenko (20 Mallory Deluce)
06:07 CAN 13 Bailey Bram (27 Vicki Bendus, 15 Jillian Saulnier)
06:46 CAN 16 Chelsea Karpenko (26 Carolyne Prevost, Mallory Deluce)
11:56 CAN13 Bailey Bram (27 Vicki Bendus, 14 Courtney Birchard)
19:26 CAN 12 Isabel Menard (2 Stefanie McKeough, 10 Jessica Campbell)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
01:37 CAN 16 Chelsea Karpenko (Tripping)
05:24 RUS 23 Tatiana Burina (Slashing)
07:48 RUS 27 Inna Dyubanok (Roughing)
18:38 RUS 44 Aleksandra Kapustine (High Sticking)

Goals/Buts : 
13:46 18 Catharine White (8 Natalie Spooner, 2 Stefanie McKeouogh)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
08:45 CAN 7 Tara Watchorn (interference)
11:38 RUS 18 Mariya Vasilyeva (Hooking)
12:12 CAN 9 Jenelle Kohanchuk (High Sticking)
14:55 RUS 27 Inna Dyubanok, (High Sticking)
18:42 RUS 11 Marina Sergina (Boarding)