2015 National Women's Under-18 Championship

ONTARIO RED SECURES SPOT IN SEMIFINALS

WENDY GRAVES

HUNTSVILLE, Ont. – Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) scored twice and Annie Berg (Beamsville, Ont./Cambridge, PWHL), Saroya Tinker (Oshawa, Ont./Durham West, PWHL) and Julia Edgar (Oakville, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) added a goal each to lead Ontario Red to a 5-1 win over Saskatchewan and clinch its spot in the semifinals of the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

Agnew added an assist for a three-point night.

Serena D’Angelo (Stoney Creek, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) made 18 saves in her first start for Ontario Red.
Nara Elia (Saskatoon, Sask./Notre Dame, PWHL) had the lone goal for Saskatchewan.

Emma Johnson (Saskatoon, Sask./Saskatoon, SFMAAAHL) was solid in net for Saskatchewan, making 27 saves.

With the all-time head-to-head record coming in completely favouring Ontario Red – 6-0 – Saskatchewan had to be considered the underdog.

Nobody told the players that.

Midway through the opening period Elia was sprung on a breakaway and slid the puck low glove side.
But the game turned Ontario Red’s way in a span of 9:18 in the second period.

At the eight-minute mark, Anonda Hoppner (Ottawa, Ont./Ottawa, PWHL) split the defence on a three-on-two; she lost the puck, but Berg, trailing the play, picked it up and roofed a backhand.

Three and a half minutes later, Tinker joined the rush and, after a two-on-one left the puck suspended in the air, the defenceman swatted it in the net before it could hit the ground.

After coming up empty on its first five power play opportunities, Ontario Red finally converted late in the second. Edgar’s floater from the point found its way through traffic to beat Johnson high.

After holding only a one-shot advantage through the opening 20, Ontario Red fired 19 pucks at Johnson in the second (compared to only the five sent D’Angelo’s way).

Ontario Red put the game out of reach with five minutes left in the third. Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) took a turnover in tight; she hit the post, but Agnew was there to put the rebound past an out-of-position Johnson.

Agnew added an empty netter with 36 seconds remaining.

Both teams wrap up the preliminary round on Friday: Saskatchewan is on the ice first, versus Quebec (10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT), with Ontario Red taking on Manitoba in the nightcap (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT).