2019-20 National Women's Team

CANADA EDGED BY AMERICANS IN RIVALRY SERIES

JASON LA ROSE

MONCTON, N.B. – Ann-Sophie Bettez (Sept-Îles, Que.) scored her first international goal to get Canada’s National Women’s Team within one in the second period, but it couldn’t get even in a 2-1 Rivalry Series loss to the United States on Tuesday night.

The loss puts Canada in a 2-0 hole in the five-game series after a 4-1 defeat Saturday in Hartford, Conn.

With the Canadians facing a two-goal deficit midway through the middle frame, Bettez got her stick on a chest-high shot off the side-boards from Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont.), redirecting it down and past U.S. netminder Aerin Frankel.

But Frankel stood her ground from there, particularly in the third period when the Canadians, in undoubtedly their best 20 minutes of the series so far, swarmed the American net; Canada outshot the U.S. 12-3 in the period.

The best opportunity came with just over 11 minutes left; the line of Bettez, Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.) and Jill Saulnier (Halifax, N.S.) peppered Frankel with at least five good scoring chances in a 30-second stretch but couldn’t find the equalizer.

The U.S. did its damage on offence in the first period, scoring twice.

Abby Roque netted her second goal in as many games less than three minutes in, keeping on a two-on-one and snapping a shot past Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que.) on the short side.

Alex Carpenter got the eventual game-winner at 14:09 tapping a shot past Desbiens after a bouncing puck found her stick at the side of the net.

Thanks to their third-period push, the Canadians finished with a 28-21 advantage in shots on goal.

The teams will take a 48-day break before the series resumes Feb. 3 in Victoria, B.C., before wrapping up with games Feb. 5 in Vancouver, B.C., and Feb. 8 in Anaheim, Calif.