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POULIN POCKETS WINNER FOR CANADA
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que.) broke a 2-2 tie with 2:04 to go, giving
Canada’s National Women’s Team a 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday night and ending its mini
one-game losing streak.
The win served as a measure of revenge for the Canadians, who fell 4-3 in their only previous trip to
Lethbridge, back on October 8.
As it has been lately, the line of Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont.), Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) and
Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) was the best of the night for Canada, combining for five points,
including a goal and an assist each for Hefford and Agosta.
It was that line that opened the scoring, as Hefford and Ouellette set up Agosta, but Kyle Davies struck
for the Hurricanes less than four minutes later, converting a shorthanded opportunity to send the game to
first intermission at 1-1.
The Lethbridge special teams struck again early in the second period, thanks to a power play goal from
Mitch Owsley, but that lead would not last the second period.
With six seconds left in the middle frame, Hefford picked up a loose puck, skated hard to the net and used
her soft hands to beat a Lethbridge defender and netminder Alex Wakaluk, tying the game at 2-2 after 40
minutes.
A wide-open, fast-paced third period led to a number of chances at both ends, but nothing was settled
until Poulin slipped the puck past Wakaluk with the minutes ticking away, moving Canada’s NWT Midget Series
record to 12-6.
Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) made 31 saves to remain perfect against Midget competition in 2009-10,
moving to 7-0.
Canada heads off on its Christmas break next week, and won’t see the ice in game action again until
December 30, when it looks for a fourth-straight win over the United States in St. Paul, Minn. The next NWT
Midget Series game is not until January 10, when Canada visits St. Albert to face the Raiders (6 p.m.
MT).
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