2016 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship

CANADA TOPS SWEDEN IN PRE-WORLDS PLAY

WENDY GRAVES

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL), Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, BCMAAA) and Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) each scored as Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team defeated Sweden in pre-tournament play ahead of the 2016 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Edith D’Astous-Moreau (Laval, Que./Stanstead, CAHS) turned aside 11 shots in picking up the win in net.

Kristin O’Neill (Oakville, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) had two assists for Canada, with Julia Edgar (Oakville, Ont./Oakville, PWHL) and Saroya Tinker (Oshawa, Ont./Durham West, PWHL) adding a helper each.

Canada opened the scoring with only a tick left on the clock in the first period. O’Neill picked off the puck at centre ice and led the way for a late rush. Her shot from the face-off circle was stopped, but Agnew had an open net out front to punch home the ensuing rebound.

Penalty trouble hurt Canada midway through the second period. Back-to-back minors had the team playing a man down for nearly three minutes, and the Swedes were able to capitalize on their advantage. Jessica Adolfsson’s wrist shot from the blue line found its way through traffic to tie the game at 11:36.

Canada retook the lead less than five minutes later. Potomak took the puck from behind her own blue line and using her speed broke free down the ice to beat Swedish goalie Emma Söderberg glove side.

Sofia Reideborn took her turn in the Swedish net to start the third. Canada tested her early and often, but was only able to beat her once in the final period. O’Neill created a turnover along the side boards and dropped a pass back to Watts, who worked her way in to beat Reideborn high with a wrist shot.

A trio of late penalties gave Canada nearly three minutes on the five-on-three, but the team couldn’t convert on its advantage.

Canada opens tournament group play on Friday night versus Russia (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT), before meeting the Czech Republic on Saturday and the United States on Monday.