2019-20 National Women's Under-18 Team

CANADA EDGED IN OT TO EVEN U18 SERIES

QUINTON AMUNDSON

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Ann-Frédérik Naud (Joliette, Que./John Abbott College, CEGEP) and Maddi Wheeler (Erinsville, Ont./Kingston, PWHL) scored goals to give Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team a late lead, but it dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the United States on Thursday afternoon.

The loss evens up the three-game series at a win apiece ahead of the finale Saturday (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT).

Canada looked to be on its way to victory when Wheeler wired home a wrister with just 49 seconds left for a 2-1 lead, but Abbey Murphy struck for a power-play goal with eight ticks left and netted the game-winner on another man advantage 92 seconds into the extra frame.

Jessie McPherson (Chatham, Ont./Cambridge, PWHL) was strong between the pipes for Canada, finishing with 32 saves. She was on her game during a first period that saw the Americans outshoot the Canadians 11-3.

Unlike the frenetic first period from the opening game Wednesday that saw both teams combine for five goals, there was barely any daylight for chances to be created at even strength in the opening 20 minutes Thursday. Canada’s power play set the tone in the second period as U.S. goaltender Amanda Thiele was forced to fend off multiple shots from prime scoring positions.

Naud drew first blood at 7:43, beating Thiele with a point-blank shot through the five-hole after a clean faceoff win by Sarah Wozniewicz (Cochrane, Alta./Edge School, CSSHL).

Danielle Burgen set the table for the late chaos by tying the game less than seven minutes into the third period.

Final shots on goal favoured the Americans, 35-20.