| Fifteen players factored in the scoring to lead the U.S. Women's National Team to a 6-1 victory over the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Stars here tonight at Xcel Energy Center in the opening game of the Qwest Tour. Team USA outshot the WCHA, 46-15, in the win.
"It was a good all-around game," said Mark Johnson, head coach for Team USA. "We had a nice crowd and it was fun for the players to see some of their friends and former teammates on the ice. It was a great start to the Qwest Tour."
Team USA came out strong, scoring four goals and outshooting its opponents, 19-3, in the opening frame. Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej (Eagle River, Wis.) gave the U.S. an early lead when she tapped in a pass from Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.) just 1:56 into the game. After Kerry Weiland (Palmer, Alaska) doubled the U.S. lead at 4:51, Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) blasted a shot from the point past WCHA netminder Zuzana Tomcikova for a power-play goal at 8:17. Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.) took advantage of a rolling puck in front of the net at 10:43 to give Team USA a four-goal advantage.
After Ashley Nixon replaced Tomcikova in the WCHA net, Molly Engstrom (Siren, Wis.) scored the lone goal of the middle frame. With Team USA on the power play, Engstrom fired a wrist shot from the left circle at 4:11. Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.) remained perfect in the U.S. net to maintain a 5-0 lead after 40 minutes.
With Alyssa Grogan in the WCHA net for the third frame,the All-Stars got on the board with a power-play goal from Holly Roberts at 5:03. Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) lifted the puck over Grogan's glove on the power play at 10:32 to account for the 6-1 final.
Vetter made 14 stops in the Tour opener, while the trio of WCHA goalies combined for 40 saves.
NOTES: Team USA was 3-for-4 with the man advantage, while killing off 2-of-3 WCHA power-play opportunities ... Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) totaled two assists and was named Team USA's Player of the Game, while Caitlin Cahow and Monique Lamoureux each recorded one goal and one assist ... Coverage of the Qwest Tour can be found on QwestTour.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on the Qwest Tour Twitter page ... Click here for Team USA's roster ... The U.S. Women's National Team opened the 2009-10 season by winning the Hockey Canada Cup in Vancouver, B.C. The Hockey Canada Cup featured Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, and served as a test event for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ... Mark Johnson, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin, is leading Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Dave Flint, head women's ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women's ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University, are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team will be centralized in Blaine, Minn., during the Qwest Tour.
ABOUT THE QWEST TOUR
The Qwest Tour, presented by Qwest Communications, features the 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team playing a 10-game domestic tour that ends just prior to the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. During that time, the U.S. squad faces off against Canada; Finland; all-star teams from the WCHA, Hockey East and ECAC Hockey; and various other NCAA Division I women's ice hockey teams. For more details, including the full schedule, ticket information and Qwest All Access content, visit QwestTour.com.
GAME SUMMARY Scoring By Period | USA | 4 | 1 | 1 -- | 6 | | WCHA | 0 | 0 | 1 -- | 1 |
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Zaugg-Siergiej (Knight, Darwitz), 1:56; 2, USA, Weiland (Darwitz, Chesson), 4:51; 3, USA, M. Lamoureux (Lawler, Drazan), 8:17 (pp); 4, USA, Cahow (Thatcher, M. Lamoureux), 10:43. Penalties: WCHA, Reilly (interference), 7:12; USA, Darwitz (high-sticking), 12:55; USA, Potter (tripping), 17:41.
Second Period - Scoring: 5, USA, Engstrom (Potter, Ruggiero), 4:11 (pp). Penalties: WCHA, Hirsch (interference), 3:15; WCHA, Hirsch (body-checking), 10:57.
Third Period - Scoring: 6, WCHA, Roberts (West, Hogan), 5:03 (pp); 7, USA, Chu (Cahow, Duggan), 10:32 (pp). Penalties: USA, Duggan (hooking), 3:35; WCHA, Reilly (tripping), 9:52.
| Shots by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | | USA | 19 | 18 | 9 | 46 | | WCHA | 3 | 3 | 9 | 15 | | | | | | | | Goaltenders (SH/SV) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | | USA, Vetter, 60:00 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 9-8 | 15-14 | | WCHA, Grogan, 20:00 | x-x | x-x | 9-8 | 9-8 | | WCHA, Nixon, 20:00 | x-x | 18-17 | x-x | 18-17 | | WCHA, Tomcikova, 20:00 | 19-15 | x-x | x-x | 19-15 | Power Play: USA 3-4; WCHA 1-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; WCHA 4-8
Officials: Referee-Leah Wrazidlo; Linesmen-Ashley Miorana, Tina Simonson
Attendance: 4,284
Qwest Tour Schedule & Results | Date | Opponent | Location | Time (Local/ET)/Result | | Fri., Sept. 25 | WCHA All-Stars | St. Paul, Minn. | W, 6-1 | | Sat., Oct. 10 | Univ. of North Dakota | Warroad, Minn. | 7:05 p.m./8:05 p.m. | | Fri., Oct. 16 | Canada | Spokane, Wash. | 7:05 p.m./10:05 p.m. | | Sun., Nov. 22 | Hockey East All-Stars | Durham, N.H. | 1:05 p.m. | | Sat., Dec. 12 | Canada | Denver, Colo. | 7:05 p.m./9:05 p.m. | | Wed., Dec. 30 | Canada | St. Paul, Minn. | 7:05 p.m./8:05 p.m. | | Sun., Jan. 3 | ECAC Hockey All-Stars | Hamden, Conn. | 2:05 p.m. | | Tues., Jan. 5 | Univ. of Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | 7:05 p.m./8:05 p.m. | | Tues., Jan. 12 | Univ. of Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | 7:05 p.m./8:05 p.m. | | Thurs., Feb. 4 | Finland | Colorado Springs, Colo. | 7:05 p.m./9:05 p.m. | |
