2017-18 National Women's Team

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2017-18 NWT Icebreaker Tournament
Game #3
Final
September 22, 2017 5:00 pm MST
Markin MacPhail Centre - WinSport Arena
Calgary, Alta.

Scoring

Teams
1st
2nd
3rd
Final
Teams
1
2
3
F
1
1
2
4
0
1
0
1

Shots on Goal

1st
2nd
3rd
Final
1
2
3
F
6
19
7
32
9
11
8
28

Statistics

PP
PIM
0 / 2
6
0 / 3
4

Game Story

CANADA PULLS AWAY FOR FIRST ICEBREAKER WIN

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Jill Saulnier (Halifax, N.S./Calgary, CWHL) scored the game-winning goal on a spectacular effort, and Canada’s National Women’s Team netted three unanswered goals to beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Friday night.

The victory is the first for the Canadian women at the Icebreaker Tournament, a start-of-season event against three teams from the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

Just over two minutes after the Flames had tied the game in the second period, Saulnier raced in alone and, after being pulled down, stayed with the puck and swept the go-ahead goal through Calgary goaltender Riley Fonger from her back.

Canada struggled to find its offensive footing early, going without a shot on goal until a power play with just over seven minutes to go in the first period.

The Flames held a 9-6 advantage in shots in the opening frame, but Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) got the Canadians on the board with 7.8 seconds to go, flying down the left wing before beating Fonger to the far side.

Taylor Makar – younger brother of NHL first-rounder Cale Makar – jammed in the 1-1 goal to pull the Midget side even at 11:39 of the second period, but that would be the lone puck to beat Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), who finished with 27 saves.

The Saulnier goal capped a strong middle stanza for the Canadians, who peppered Fonger with 19 shots in the period. They held a 32-28 advantage in shots on goal overall.

Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL) added insurance for Canada seven minutes into the third period, jumping off the bench and into the play before taking a feed from Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont./Linköping HC, SWE) and snapping a quick shot past the blocker of Fonger.

Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Montreal, CWHL) finished the scoring less than three minutes later with an unassisted effort, sweeping around the Flames defence and tucking in the final goal.

The Canadians finish the preliminary portion of the Icebreaker Tournament on Saturday, facing off against the Calgary Royals (5:30 p.m. MT).

Play-by-Play

Team
Description
Time
1st Period
PENALTY
Penalty: Eric Martin
Slashing (2:00)
12:53
PENALTY
Penalty: Jennifer Wakefield
Body-Checking (2:00)
16:34
GOAL
Goal: Rebecca Johnston

Assists: Brigette Lacquette, Brianne Jenner
19:52
2nd Period
GOAL
Goal: Taylor Makar

11:39
GOAL
Goal: Jill Saulnier

Assists: Jennifer Wakefield
13:56
3rd Period
PENALTY
Penalty: Emily Clark
Tripping (2:00)
02:40
GOAL
Goal: Natalie Spooner

Assists: Jennifer Wakefield, Micah Zandee-Hart
06:59
PENALTY
Penalty: Micah Zandee-Hart
Tripping (2:00)
07:25
GOAL
Goal: Marie-Philip Poulin

09:45
PENALTY
Penalty: Neil Kingston
Tripping (2:00)
13:51

Goaltenders

Name Team Mins SA SVS GAA SV%
Geneviève Lacasse CAN 60 28 27 1 0.964
Riley Fonger FLA 60 32 28 4 0.875

Game Leaders

Goals 0 - Assists 2 - Points 2
G 0 - A 2 - P 2
Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1
Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1
Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1

Previous Games

0 - 4 L @ Calgary NorthstarsNOR
Sep 24, 2017
4 - 2 W vs. Calgary RoyalsROY
Sep 24, 2017
3 - 1 W @ Calgary RoyalsROY
Sep 23, 2017
3 - 6 L vs. Calgary NorthstarsNOR
Sep 23, 2017
4 - 1 W @ Calgary FlamesFLA
Sep 22, 2017
1 - 4 L vs. CanadaCAN
Sep 22, 2017
Videos
Photos
2024 NWT Rivalry Series: CAN 6 – USA 1 (Game 7)
Spooner and Maltais scored twice to lead Canada to win the series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 3 – USA 0 (Game 6)
Maschmeyer made 27 saves for the shutout to tie the Rivalry Series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 4 – USA 2 (Game 5)
Bell, Fast and Stacey scored late to help Canada stay alive.
2023 WWC: USA 6 – CAN 3 (Gold Medal)
Jenner scored twice, but Canada finished with silver in Brampton.
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