2008-09 National Women's Under-18 Team

FRYKAS’ OVERTIME WINNER GIVES CANADA WIN IN U18 SERIES FINALE

LAKE PLACID, NY – Returning to the ice at the Lake Placid Olympic Center just 12 hours after a heartbreaking 3-2 loss, Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team rebounded well, scoring a nail-biting 3-2 overtime win over the United States in the finale of the three-game series between the women’s hockey rivals on Saturday morning.

Canada had fought back to tie Friday night’s game with just 43 seconds left on the clock, only to see the Americans score the game-winner just 14 seconds later.

Breann Frykas(East St. Paul, MB/Balmoral Hall, MB MAAA) scored the game-winner 3:11 into the extra frame on Saturday, after the Americans had once again struck in the game’s final minute, this time to force overtime.

Saturday’s win was the only victory of the series for the Canadians – they dropped a 4-1 decision on Wednesday before Friday’s loss.

For the first time in the series it was the Canadians who hit the scoreboard first, as Laurie Kingsbury (Valleyfield, QC/Lac St-Louis, QC MAA) tucked in a pass from Casandra Langan (Chatham, ON/London, PWHL) at the side of the net just 98 seconds after the opening face-off.

The Americans had the advantage in shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Canadians 16-12, but Canadian goaltender Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, QC/Richelieu, QC MBB) stood tall and turned away everything she faced.

Douville continued her stand-on-her-head performance in the second period, upping her save total to 28 through 40 minutes, and Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Stoney Creek, PWHL) pushed Canada’s lead to 2-0 five minutes in, driving to the net to score after Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Montreal, CWHL) had stripped an American of the puck at the USA blueline and fed the Canadian captain.

Down by two goals entering the final frame, the Americans finally got a puck past Douville when Jamie Kenyon beat the Canadian netminder just past the two-minute mark of the period.

With the seconds ticking away and goaltender Corinne Boyles – who replaced starter Alex Rigsby at the start of the third period – on the bench for an extra attacker the Americans turned to their big guns, Amanda Kessel and Brianna Decker, and Decker set up Kessel to pull the USA even, scoring with just 46 seconds to go.

Decker scored the game-winning goal with just 29 seconds left on the clock in Friday night’s win by the Americans.

Despite watching its two-goal third-period lead evaporate the Canadians continued to pressure the Americans, and Frykas drove to the net and picked up the rebound off a shot from Poulin, burying it five-hole on Boyles to give Canada the win.

The USA outshot Canada 43-28 overall.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will return to the ice next in January, when it travels to Füssen, Germany for the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, looking to improve on its silver medal from 2008.

The roster for the world championship will be announced in December.

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Final(OT)

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Goals/Buts :
01:38 CAN Kingsbury (Langan, Ménard)

Penalties/Pénalités :
08:04 CAN Fratkin (Holding/Retenir)
12:57 CAN Kingsbury (Crosschecking/Double-échec)
16:44 USA Kelter (Tripping/Trébucher)
19:57 USA Bolden (Tripping/Trébucher)

Goals/Buts :
05:00 CAN Jenner (Poulin, Campbell)

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:45 USA Kelter (Bodychecking/Mise en échec)
07:32 CAN Poulin (Crosschecking/Double-échec)
17:57 CAN Cruickshank (Roughing/Rudesse)

Goals/Buts :
02:18 USA Kenyon (Pelkey, Dempsey)
19:14 USA Kessel (Decker)

Penalties/Pénalités :
07:32 USA Bolden (Bodychecking/Mise en échec)
09:14 CAN Lacquette (Tripping/Trébucher)
10:44 CAN Rattray (Slashing/Coup de baton)