QUEBEC RIDES STINGY DEFENSE TO TOP SPOT IN GROUP B; ATLANTIC CLINCHES SEMI-FINAL SPOT

Needing a win to stay perfect and lock up first place in Group B, Quebec held Team Atlantic to just two shots in the opening 20 minutes, and 16 overall, as they scored a 4-2 win on Friday afternoon at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

Marie-Philip Poulin and Mélodie Daoust scored 45 seconds apart in the first period to erase an early 1-0 Team Atlantic lead, Leslie Oles – named Quebec’s Player of the Game – notched the game-winner just eight seconds into the second period and Ariane Barker added an insurance goal late in the third as Quebec (3-0) advanced to Saturday’s late semi-final (7:00 p.m. ET) against the runner-up from Group A.

Poulin and Audrey Bélanger-Cournoyer had one point each in the win, giving them a tournament-leading nine through round robin play. The Quebec powerplay connected once on four opportunities, meaning it connected on a tournament-high 35 percent of its opportunities (7-for-20) through its opening three games.

The loss was not all bad news for Team Atlantic (1-1-1), which clinched a semi-final spot despite not picking up the victory. Player of the Game Kayla Blackmore scored both goals in a losing cause as Team Atlantic finished ahead of B.C. on goal differential to move on to the final four, where they will face the winner of Friday night’s Ontario Red vs. Manitoba game in Saturday’s early semi-final (4:00 p.m. ET).