2017-18 National Women's Development Team

GOLD WINS AGAIN, BEATS JAPAN AT DEVELOPMENT CAMP

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Rebecca Leslie (Ottawa, Ont./Boston University, HE) paced the offence with a goal and an assist, leading Gold to its second win in as many nights at Canada’s National Women’s Development Team selection camp, 5-1 over Japan on Thursday.

Gold has outscored its opponents 9-1 through two games, including a 4-0 victory over the U SPORTS all-stars in its camp opener on Wednesday.

Victoria Bach (Milton, Ont./Boston University, HE) and Hannah Miller (North Vancouver, B.C./St. Lawrence University, ECAC) chipped in with a pair of assists each for Gold.

A fast-paced first period produced only a single goal, off the stick of Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont./Ohio State University, WCHA); she deftly redirected in a shot by Olivia Atkinson (Oakville, Ont./McGill University, RSEQ) with less than three minutes to go in the opening frame, sending the Canadian side to the dressing room with the lead.

Éve-Audrey Picard (Longueuil, Que./University of Vermont, HE) doubled the advantage at 5:04 of the second period, jamming in a loose puck that had squirted through Japanese goaltender Nana Fujimoto, and Christina Putigna (Hamilton, Ont./Providence College, HE) hammered a slap shot past Fujimoto from the face-off dot to make it a 3-0 game after 40 minutes.

Josiane Pozzebon (Bourget, Ont./Clarkson University, ECAC) netted the 4-0 goal, beating Fujimoto through traffic from the point at 9:21 of the third.

Japan finally solved Gold netminder Kassidy Sauvé (Whitby, Ont./Ohio State University, WCHA) with less than five minutes to go; Haruna Yoneyama forced a turnover in the neutral zone before going five-hole on Sauvé for an unassisted marker.

It was the first goal allowed by Gold at camp, ending a shutout streak of just over 115 minutes.

Leslie capped the scoring with just over a minute left, spinning at the side of the net and wiring a shot over the short-side shoulder of Fujimoto to provide the final margin of victory.

Amelia Boughn (Toronto, Ont./University of British Columbia, CWUAA) got the start for Gold, stopping all 12 shots she faced before giving way to Sauvé midway through the second period. Sauvé stopped six of seven the rest of the way.

The teams meet again Friday (4 p.m. MT) before both close out camp against U SPORTS – Gold on Saturday (2:30 p.m. MT) and Japan on Sunday (10 a.m. MT).