2015 National Women's Under-18 Championship

NEWMAN’S LATE GOAL GIVES ATLANTIC FIFTH PLACE

WENDY GRAVES

HUNTSVILLE, Ont. – Heather Newman (Mount Pearl, N.L./Ridley College, CAHS) scored with only 1:55 remaining in regulation, and Lindsey Donovan (Miramichi, N.B./Rothesay Netherwood School, CAHS) added an even later insurance marker, as Atlantic came back to defeat Quebec and claim fifth place at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

Sierra Lee (Ferguson’s Cove, N.S./New Hampton School, USHS) scored Atlantic’s first goal.

Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, P.E.I./Charlottetown, PEIMAAA) stopped 18 of 19 shots in net.

Rosalie Bégin-Cyr (St-Georges, Que./Limoilou, CEGEP) was the long goal-scorer for Quebec. Marie-Pier Coulombe (Carignan, Que./Limoilou, CEGEP) saved 21 of the 23 shots sent her way.

With time rapidly running down in the third period, it appeared a trend would continue at the 2015 U18 nationals: for three straight days, the 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT game needed extra time.

Newman ensured that pattern ended when her shot from the face-off circle beat Coulombe.

Quebec pressed for the equalizer, pulling Coulombe with 53 seconds to play, but Donovan got a step on a trio of players and guided the puck into the empty net 20 seconds later.

After an opening period that seemed to lack rhythm, the pace and play from both sides picked up in the middle frame.

Quebec got on the board first with only 2:29 to go in the second. A point shot off a face-off was stopped, but the rebound was met at the top of the crease by three Quebec players, with Bégin-Cyr finally finding the back of the net.

Lee drew her team even six minutes into the third. Atlantic gained control off an offensive zone face-off. A shot from the point was blocked, but the rebound made its way to Coulombe’s left; Lee roofed a backhand short side over the goalie’s glove.

The win was the first in six tries for Atlantic against Quebec at the tournament. The team – made up of eight players from Nova Scotia, five from New Brunswick, four from Newfoundland and three from Prince Edward Island – earned its best finish since 2011.

With the loss Quebec settled for sixth place, its worst result ever at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship. The team has now finished off the podium for three straight tournaments, after winning medals the first seven times the event was played.