2008-09 National Women's Team

CANADA SURVIVES WILD FIRST PERIOD, EARNS WIN OVER NORTHSTARS

CALGARY, AB – Canada’s National Women’s Team got the January camp off to a winning start on Tuesday night, getting a pair of goals from Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Montreal, CWHL) in a 6-3 win over the Calgary Northstars.

Ouellette, Noémie Marin (Acton-Vale, QC/Montreal, CWHL) and Jayna Hefford (Kingston, ON/Brampton, CWHL) scored in a wild first period, which saw the Canadians take a one-goal lead on three occasions, only to see the Northstars come back twice to pull within a goal and outshoot Canada 16-9.

Marin got the scoring started 6:31 after the opening faceoff, converting a pass from Brianne Jenner (St. Catharines, ON/Mississauga, CWHL). But the Midget AAA team would respond, as Stephen Jewer tapped the puck past Canadian netminder Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, QC/McGill, CIS) on a Calgary power play just shy of the midway point of the period.

Ouellette restored Canada’s lead 95 seconds later, jamming the puck past Calgary goaltender Ken Cameron, but again Calgary would respond, as Bobby Janzen tied the game just 1:16 after Ouellette’s go-ahead marker.

Hefford capped off the back-and-forth first by taking a gorgeous stretch pass from Gillian Ferrari (Thornhill, ON/Calgary, WWHL) and lifting a backhand over Cameron.

The Canadian pressure continued early in the second period as Ouellette notched her second of the game to give Canada its first two-goal lead at 4-2, the lone goal before the teams switched goaltenders at the period’s midway point.

Unfortunately it was not the start either Kim St-Pierre (Châteauguay, QC/Montreal, CWHL) or Kipp Cifra hoped for, as both netminders allowed goals on the first shots they faced, the goals coming within the first nine seconds after the goaltending change – Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg, MB/Mississauga, CWHL) scored for Canada, while Ryan Hewitt countered for Calgary.

After eight goals in the opening 30 minutes, the scoring dried up, with an empty-net marker from Becky Kellar (Hagersville, ON/Burlington, CWHL) the final goal of the contest with just 30 seconds left on the clock.

Canada, which travels to Red Deer on Wednesday night to face the Midget AAA Optimist Rebels, outshot Calgary 32-31, including 24-17 over the final 40 minutes.

Goals/Buts :
06:31 CAN Noémie Marin (Brianne Jenner)
09:34 CGY Stephen Jewer (Ryan Hewitt, Andrew Sullivan) PP
11:09 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Colleen Sostorics, Caroline Ouellette)
12:25 CGY Bobby Janzen (Andrew Sullivan)
18:55 CAN Jayna Hefford (Gillian Ferrari)

Penalties/Pénalités :
08:50 CAN Bobbi Jo Slusar (Holding/Retenir)
13:45 CAN Bench (Too Many Players/Trop de joueurs)

Goals/Buts :
05:14 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Meaghan Mikkelson, Annie Guay)
10:03 CAN Jennifer Botterill
10:09 CGY Ryan Hewitt (Stephen Jewer)

Penalties/Pénalités :
06:38 CAN Noémie Marin (Tripping/Trebucher)
15:06 CGY Dallas Ehrhardt (Delay of Game/Arrêter le match)

Goals/Buts :
19:30 CAN Becky Kellar (Cherie Piper) EN

Penalties/Pénalités :
None/Aucun