2009 National Women's Under-18 Championship

ALBERTA WINS BATTLE OF WESTERN CANADA

SURREY, B.C. – Defender Akane Hosoyamada (Banff, Alta.) stepped off the blue line and into the offensive zone on the ice Wednesday night in Surrey, securing Alberta’s first two goals of a 4-1 win over fellow Westerners British Columbia.

Following a scoreless first period, Hosoyamada’s first one of the night came just less than a minute into the second, on passes from Brittany Styner (Calgary, Alta.) and Danielle Brown (Cold Lake, Alta). She followed her own example, pocketing her next one at 18:05 in the same period.

But British Columbia put a quick stop to that trend, with Breanna Frasca (Kamloops, B.C.) claiming her team’s lone goal of the night, putting the score at 2-1 going into the second intermission.

Brittany Laing (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) made a comeback even more possible for her team with a goal at 6:41 in the third, but Alberta’s Styner and Rachel Walsh (Calgary, Atla.) ended that dream with goals of their own by the end of the final period, Walsh’s in the last eight seconds of the game.

British Columbia is back on the ice to take on Quebec (0-1) on Thursday night (8 p.m. PT), while Alberta faces off against Manitoba (1-0) for the afternoon game of the day (1 p.m. PT).