2009-10 National Women's Team

Canada 4 - Red Deer 2
 
THIRD PERIOD FLURRY LEADS CANADA TO WIN OVER OPTIMIST REBELS

RED DEER, Alta. – Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg, Man.) and Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) scored 2:29 apart early in the third period to break open a 1-1 tie as Canada’s National Women’s Team officially opened the NWT Midget Series with a 4-2 win over the Red Deer Optimist Rebels on Friday night.

Jayna Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) and Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) also scored for the Canadians, who prevented the Optimist Rebels from picking up two points in the Alberta Midget Hockey League standings. Canada will play 27 games against AMHL competition leading into the 2010 Olympics, with the Midget AAA teams able to add points to their AMHL totals in the first games they play against Canada.

It was the Optimist Rebels who controlled play for much of the opening period, outshooting Canada 9-6 and taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Clayton Petrie just shy of the six-minute mark.

Red Deer held the advantage in shots on goal again in the middle frame, this time by an 11-8 margin, but Canadian netminder Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) turned aside everything she faced in the period, allowing her team to tie the game. Hefford was Johnny-on-the-spot in front of the net to deposit a rebound, sending the game to the intermission tied 1-1.

Canada came out like a house on fire in the third period, taking its first lead at 6:39 when Botterill stepped out of the corner and roofed a backhand over the shoulder of Red Deer goaltender Travis Weber. Agosta added insurance on the power play just 2:29 later, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play from Hefford and Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que.).

Ouellette and Red Deer’s Kolton Gillett traded goals in the final 10 minutes to provide the final margin of victory for the Canadians.

Canada’s National Women’s Team returns to the ice on Monday, October 5 when it travels to the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, B.C. for the first of six games during the 2009-10 season against the United States. The puck drops at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, live on TSN2.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement Midget Series Location/Emplacement Red Deer, Alta.
Date Fri. Oct 2, 2009 Arena/Aréna Red Deer Arena
Time/Heure 8:00 pm MT Attendance/Assistance -,---
Round/Ronde Exhibition Game #/No. match -

Box Score/Compte
1
2
3
Final
CAN
0
1
3
4
RD
1
0
1
2

Goals/Penalties
First Period/Première période
Goals/Buts:
05:46 RD Clayton Petrie (Kolton Gillett, Nathan Dennis)

Penalties/Punitions:
13:43 CAN Becky Kellar (Holding/Retenir)
Second Period/Deuxième période
Goals/Buts:
01:34 CAN Jayna Hefford (Caroline Ouellette, Meaghan Mikkelson)

Penalties/Punitions:
11:58 CAN Sarah Vaillancourt (Hooking/Accrocher)
17:02 CAN Gillian Apps (Hooking/Accrocher)
Third Period/Troisième période
Goals/Buts:
06:39 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Jennifer Wakefield, Delaney Collins)
09:08 CAN Meghan Agosta (Jayna Hefford, Sarah Vaillancourt) PP/AN
15:39 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Meghan Agosta) PP/AN
16:38 RD Kolton Gillett

Penalties/Punitions:
07:17 RD Nathan Dennis (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
14:24 RD Nate Engert (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
18:50 CAN Gillian Ferrari (Boarding/Donner de la bande)

Goaltenders CAN Shannon Szabados
Gardiens de but RD Travis Weber
Shots on Goal Team 1 p 2 p 3 p Ttl
Shots on Goal CAN 6 8 8 22
Tirs au but RD 9 11 6 26
 
Referee/Arbitre ---
Linesmen/Juges des lignes ---