2018-19 National Women's Team

CANADA EDGED BY U.S. AT WOMEN’S WORLDS

JASON LA ROSE

ESPOO, Finland – Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./Toronto, CWHL) and Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) scored power-play goals, but Canada’s National Women’s Team fell one short in a 3-2 loss to the United States on Saturday at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

The 147th meeting between the North American rivals was a battle of special teams; there were a combined 13 power plays in the game, and three of the five goals were scored on the man advantage.

Nurse and Jenner – who played her 100th international game – finished with a goal and an assist apiece, while Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, Man./Calgary, CWHL) earned a pair of helpers.

The Americans needed less than five minutes to open the scoring when Hilary Knight redirected a feed from Dani Cameranesi under goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Montreal, CWHL), but Nurse poked in a loose puck in the crease just two minutes later to tie the game.

The game looked to be headed to the intermission even, but U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield took advantage of a turnover in the Canadian zone to go five-hole on Maschmeyer at 18:13 and put the Americans up by a goal after 20 minutes.

The U.S. had a 14-13 edge in shots on goal in a busy first period, but Canada had a 33-30 edge overall.

Jenner struck on another Canadian power play just 1:55 into the second period, cruising through the slot and redirecting a point shot from Lacquette past U.S. netminder Alex Rigsby to tie the game.

Annie Pankowski needed just four seconds of a U.S. man advantage to put the Americans ahead for good late in the second period, hammering a slap shot past Maschmeyer for the game-winning goal.

Canada had its chances to tie the game late, including a pair of power plays in the final seven minutes, but couldn’t put another puck past Rigsby and saw its record drop to 1-1 in Group A.

The preliminary round continues Monday when Canada takes on Russia (12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT).