CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Women’s Under-22/Development Team and National Women’s Under-18 Team both wrapped up their three-game series against the United States on Sunday, with the under-18 team winning 5-4 in a shootout to clinch the series victory at the National Sports Centre’s Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team also edged the United States 3-2 on Thursday, Aug. 16 and fell 3-1 in its lone loss of the series Friday, Aug. 17. Ashleigh Brykaliuk (Brandon, Man./Balmoral Hall, JWHL) and Karly Heffernan (St. Albert, Alta./Edge School, JWHL) both scored in the shootout Sunday for Canada, while Kimberly Newell (Burnaby, B.C./Kootenay, BCMML) stopped 32 shots en route to the win.

At Hockey Canada’s home rink in Calgary, the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex, Canada’s National Women’s Under-22/Development Team lost to the United States 4-1 on Thursday, Aug. 16, 4-2 on Friday, Aug. 17 and 4-3 on Sunday in what was a hard-fought series. Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Boston University, HE) scored a shorthanded goal, while both Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./McGill University, CIS) and Sarah Davis (Paradise, N.L./University of Minnesota, WCHA) added power-play goals in the third and final game.

The 22-player rosters for both squads were selected by Kalli Quinn, Hockey Canada’s director of female national teams; Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s head scout of women’s national team programs and her team of scouts; along with team coaching staffs, following the National Women’s Under-22/Development Team and National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camps, which ran Aug. 2-12 at the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex in Calgary.

“Both of our National Women’s Program teams played three strong, skilled and solid games against the United States in what were two very competitive series,” Quinn said. “We’re proud of our coaches, staff and players and look forward to seeing everyone excel on and off the ice during the upcoming season.”

Lisa Jordan (Westville, N.S./Ryerson University, CIS) served as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-22/Development Team, while Pierre Alain (Mirabel, Que./St-Jérôme, Collégial AA) and Cassandra Turner (Campbellford, Ont./Quinnipiac University, ECAC) were assistant coaches and Perry Wilson (LaSalle, Ont./University of Windsor, CIS) was goaltending coach for the under-22/development team’s series against the United States.

Jim Fetter (Waterloo, Ont./St. Cloud State University, WCHA) was the head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, while Rebecca Russell (Lethbridge, N.L./Okanagan Hockey Academy, Midget AAA) and Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) joined him behind the bench as assistant coaches and Joe Johnston (Lower Sackville, N.S./Dalhousie University, CIS) acted as goaltending coach for the under-18 team’s series versus the U.S.

Hockey Canada scouts and coaches will continue to evaluate players with their club teams during the 2012-13 season, in preparation for selecting the Canadian contingent that will compete at the 2013 Meco Cup and 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, both taking place next January in Füssen, Germany and Vierumäki, Finland, respectively.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Please contact Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, for any Canada’s National Women’s Under-22/Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team interview requests at (403) 826-4819 or [email protected].

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Hockey Canada, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/NWT, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_teamcanada.