CANADA’S NATIONAL WOMEN’S UNDER-22 TEAM WINS GOLD MEDAL AT 2011 MLP CUP
KREUZLINGEN, Switzerland – For the eighth time in nine years, Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team has won the gold medal at the MLP Cup, defeating Sweden 6-0 in Saturday’s gold medal game at Bodensee Arena.
Canada finished a perfect 4-0 in the tournament, beating Switzerland (5-0) and Germany (9-0) in preliminary round play before knocking off Russia (9-0) in Friday’s semifinal.
On Saturday, Canada got first period goals from Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC), Catherine White (Brampton, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC), Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Mercyhurst College, CHA), Jenelle Kohanchuk (Winnipeg, Man./Boston University, HE) and Chelsea Karpenko (Winnipeg, Man./Cornell University, ECAC) as it opened up a commanding 5-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, Man./Mercyhurst College, CHA) capped off Canada’s scoring in the second period, adding a goal to her two first period assists. In all, six players scored goals and 13 recorded at least one point in the win.
Geneviève Lacasse (Scarborough, Ont./Providence College, HE) stopped all 37 shots she faced to record her second shutout of the tournament. Lacasse and Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, Que./University of Vermont, HE) combined to not allow a single goal during the 2011 MLP Cup, stopping all 83 shots they faced in Canada’s four games.
Bram (three goals, six assists) and Bendus (three goals, six assists) finished tied for the tournament scoring lead with nine points, one point ahead of Jillian Saulnier (Halifax, N.S./Toronto, PWHL).
Eleven players, including team captain Bendus and alternate captains Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ont./University of New Hampshire, HE) and Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que./Cornell University, ECAC) won their second gold medal in a row.
CANADA’S NATIONAL WOMEN’S UNDER-22 TEAM ROSTER ANNOUNCED FOR 2011 MLP CUP
CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Thursday the 21 players selected for the National Women’s Under-22 Team that will represent Canada at the 2011 MLP Cup, taking place Jan. 4-8 in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
Canada’s roster includes 17 of the 22 members of the National Women’s Under-22 Team that swept the United States in a three-game series held in Toronto, Ont., in August and 11 returning members of the National Women’s Under-22 Team that won gold at the 2010 MLP Cup in Ravensburg, Germany.
The roster also includes two members of the National Women’s Under-18 Team that won Canada’s first-ever gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Chicago, Ill., last April (Campbell and Saulnier) and four members of the National Women’s Team that won gold for Canada at the 2010 4 Nations Cup in St. John’s, N.L., last month (Bendus, Birchard, Spooner and Watchorn).
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2011 MLP CUP NATIONALWOMEN’S UNDER-22 TEAM ROSTER
BREAKDOWN OF 2011 MLP CUP ROSTER BY BRANCH
Ontario (13): Bendus, Birchard, Deluce, Fortino, Lacasse, Mazzotta, McKeough, McIntosh, Menard Prevost, Spooner, Watchorn, White
Manitoba (3): Bram, Karpenko, Kohanchuk
Nova Scotia (3): Haverstock, Saulnier, Wong
Quebec (one): Rougeau
Saskatchewan (one): Campbell
Players who were on the gold medal-winning 2010 Olympic Winter Games roster (Rebecca Johnston and Marie-Philip Poulin), or who were centralized with the National Women’s Team during the 2009-10 season (Brianne Jenner and Jennifer Wakefield), were not eligible for 2011 MLP Cup roster selection. Hockey Canada scouts will continue to evaluate these four players with their respective club teams leading up to the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship next April in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland.
In total, Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team consists of two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 12 forwards. Canada has won the MLP Cup seven times, including every year from 2003 through 2008 and in 2010. Canada will join Germany and Switzerland in Group B for the preliminary round, while Sweden, Finland and Russia will play in Group A.
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2011 MLP CUP SCHEDULE
In addition, Hockey Canada has confirmed that Jim Fetter (Waterloo, Ont.) will resume his role as head coach after leading Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team to three straight wins over the United States in the August series. He will again be joined by assistant coaches Rachel Flanagan (Guelph, Ont.) and Dave Gwyn (Etobicoke, Ont.), along with goaltending coach Perry Wilson (Windsor, Ont.).
“With a strong roster filled with players who have already competed on the international stage, Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team enters the 2011 MLP Cup with high standards,” Fetter said. “We will work hard to meet and exceed those standards on the ice and represent our country with pride.” |
Ontario
Womens Hockey Association 
