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CANADA CAPTURES ICEBREAKER TOURNAMENT WITH WIN OVER ROYALS
CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Women’s Team captured the Icebreaker Tournament on Sunday with a
hard-fought 5-4 win over the Calgary Royals. Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.) scored at the 13:49 mark of the
third period to give Canada the win.
Canada opened the scoring at 2:52 of the first period, as Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg, Man.) went top
shelf over the glove of Royals’ netminder James D’Andrea. Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) made it 2-0
less than four minutes later, cashing in on Apps’ great work after the Canadian forward outraced a defenceman
to the puck and found Ouellette in the slot.
The Royals cut that lead to one goal at 14:08, as Gui Glasspoole directed a great cross-crease pass from
Connor Collett under Canadian netminder Kim St-Pierre (Châteauguay, Que.).
Calgary evened the score at 2-2 early in the second, as Hunter Shinkaruk got a rebound past St-Pierre just
as a Royals’ power play was coming to an end. The tie didn’t hold up for very long, though, as Haley
Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont.) tallied a third Canadian goal just 21 seconds later. D’Andrea couldn’t handle
a hard shot from Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.) and the puck dropped onto Irwin’s stick for an easy
goal.
At 8:22, on a power play, Canada went ahead 4-2 after a bad line change led to Canada getting away on a
three-on-one, and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont.) was on the doorstep to finish off the
play.
Canada’s two-goal lead didn’t make it to the intermission, as Shinkaruk scored his second of the game at
the 18-minute mark, getting around a St-Pierre pokecheck before firing into an empty net. Canada held onto a
4-3 lead through forty minutes of play.
Calgary got back on even ground at 12:45 of the third period, as Evan Jarock one-timed a shot past
St-Pierre from just in front of the net. The Royals were barely done celebrating, though, when Canada went
back in front. Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) drove hard to the net from her off-wing and the ensuing
scramble led to Apps hammering the puck home, giving Canada a 5-4 lead.
The Royals pulled out all the stops in the final minute of the game, looking for the equalizer, but came
up against a determined side, with Irwin notably coming up with a great shot block. St-Pierre made 25 saves
for the win, while D’Andrea made 21 saves for Calgary in a losing cause, as the Royals outshot Canada
29-26.
Canada has two games in Alberta this week, prior to a tilt with its American rivals on October 5 in
Victoria, B.C. On Tuesday, September 29, Canada splits up for a Red-White game at Father David Bauer Olympic
Arena, before the getting the Midget Series officially underway on October 2 when it pays a visit to the Red
Deer Arena to face the Red Deer Optimist Rebels.
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