U.S. Women's Under-22 Team Drops 7-2 Decision to Canada in Series Finale

TORONTO, Ont. - Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) and Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) each scored, but the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team fell to Canada, 7-2, here tonight in the final game of the Women's Under-22 Series.

"Overall, I was impressed with the way we battled back from a 3-0 deficit," said Digit Murphy, head coach of the 2010 U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team. "The team fought back with a lot of energy, but a couple of momentum shifts in the third period changed the course of the game."

Canada scored two first-period goals to take an early 2-0 lead. Marie-Philip Poulin then extended Canada's lead one minute into the second period, but Team USA rallied with two goals in four minutes to reduce its deficit to 3-2.

Kessel started the U.S. scoring with a goal at the 12:16 mark of middle frame. Montana Vichorek (Moose Lake, Minn.) fired a slap shot from the point that Canadian goaltender Genevieve Lacasse kicked away. The rebound ended up on the stick of Kessel at the back post, where she flipped the puck in behind Lacasse for the score.

Just over three minutes later, Coyne pulled Team USA within one goal of Canada. Josephine Pucci (Pearl River, N.Y.) sent a cross-ice pass to Coyne, who raced along the boards, beat the Canadian defenders, and released a low shot that found the back of the net.

Despite the U.S. response, Canada scored four unanswered goals in the third period to claim the 7-2 win.

Goaltender Alyssa Grogan (Eagan, Minn.) stopped 27 shots for Team USA in the loss.

NOTES: The U.S. finished the series with a 0-0-1-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record during the three-game series ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... The 22 players hail from 12 states ... The University of Minnesota leads the way with six players on the U.S. roster, while the University of Wisconsin boasts three ... Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) all played on the silver-medal winning 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team ... Jocelyne Lamoureux is the twin sister of Monique Lamoureux. Both play at the University of North Dakota ... Digit Murphy, head women's ice hockey coach at Brown University, is serving as the head coach for the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team. She is assisted by Linda Lundigran and Hilary Witt, who are both assistant women's ice hockey coaches at Northeastern University.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, CAN, Fortino (Saulnier, Rougeau), 7:19 (pp); 2, CAN, Poulin (Lacquette), 13:13 (pp). Penalties: USA, Yung (holding), 7:08; CAN, Poulin (high-sticking), 9:28; USA, Bozek (hooking), 11:45; USA, Ammerman (high-sticking), 14:06; CAN, White (cross-checking), 16:23; USA, J. Lamoureux (hooking), 18:46.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, CAN, Poulin (Karpenko), 0:58; 4, USA, Kessel (Vichorek), 12:16; 5, USA, Coyne (Pucci), 15:33. Penalties: CAN, Birchard (cross-checking), 1:19; CAN, White (high-sticking), 6:20; USA, M. Lamoureux (holding), 7:07; USA, Pucci (interference), 9:32; CAN, Bendus (hooking), 16:59.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, CAN, Johnston (Poulin), 0:08; 7, CAN, Saulnier (Wakefield, McKeough), 8:27; 8, CAN, Bendus (Kohanchuk), 11:44 (sh); 9, CAN, Poulin (McKeough), 13:17. Penalties: USA, M. Lamoureux (holding), 2:17; CAN, Wong (interference), 2:35; USA, West (delaying-the-game), 6:18; CAN, Rougeau (holding), 9:45.

Power Play: USA 0-7; CAN 2-8
Penalties: USA 8-16; CAN 7-14

Referee: Gabrielle Ariano-Lortie
Linesmen: Lacey Senuk, Vanessa Stratton

Team USA 2010 Women's Under-22 Series Schedule
August 18-21 • MasterCard Centre • Toronto, Ont.