U.S. Womens Under-18 Select Team Tops Canada, 4-3 at 2009 Womens Under-18 Series

Nine Different Players Registered Points In Victory

CALGARY, Alta. - Stephanie Mock (Cape Coral, Fla.) scored the game-winning goal and Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) turned aside 37 shots as the U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team topped Canada, 4-3, in the opening game of the 2009 Women's Under-18 Series here today. The two teams resume their three-game series on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. EDT at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary, Alta.

"It was good for the players to get on the ice and see some competition coming out of camp," said Katie King, head coach of the 2009 U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team. "I was proud of the team's resiliency and our ability to come back and capitalize on the power play."

Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) gave Team USA a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 2:12 of the first period. Emily Pfalzer (Getzville, N.Y.) sent a pass to Coyne who split the defensemen and beat goaltender Erica Howe on the breakaway.

Canada quickly responded with a power-play marker 59 seconds later to tie the game, 1-1.

The game remained knotted until 11:11 of the second period when Canada netted a goal to take a 2-1 advantage heading into the second intermission.

In the third period, the U.S. scored twice on its five power-play opportunities. Alexandra Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.) sent a cross-ice pass from Coyne to the back of the net at 7:41 to tie the game, 2-2. Pfalzer picked up her second assist of the game on the play.

Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.) made it back-to-back power-play tallies when she deflected Meagan Mangene's (Manorville, N.Y.) shot for a goal at 11:09 to give Team USA a 3-2 lead. Zoe Hickel (Anchorage, Alaska) recorded an assist on the play.

Canada tied the game at 11:32 of the third period before Mock's goal at 13:46 accounted for the 4-3 final. Marissa Gedman's (Framingham, Mass.) shot from the blue line deflected off Mock and beat Howe for the game-winning goal. Katie Case (Grosse Point Shores, Wis.) also collected an assist on the play.

NOTES: The Women's Under-18 Series is in its third year. The U.S. won last year's series with a 2-0-1-0 record ... The U.S. roster includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders ... The 22 players on the U.S. roster represent 11 states ... Brittany Ammerman, Kendall Coyne, Meagan Mangene, Amanda Pelkey, Alex Rigsby and Taylor Wasylk were members of the U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team that competed in the 2008 Women's Under-18 Series ... Katie King, three-time Olympian and head women's ice hockey coach at Boston College, is the head coach of the U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team, with Shelley Looney, two-time Olympian and women's hockey director for the New Jersey Colonials, and Catherine Hanson, former U.S. Women's National Team member and assistant women's ice hockey coach at The Ohio State University, serving as assistant coaches ... The annual USA Hockey Player Development Camps provide top young players with concentrated on- and off-ice training and instruction as well as the opportunity to compete at a national level against other players from their age group. For Team USA's roster, click here.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA	1 -	0 -	3 -	4
CAN	1 -	1 -	1 -	3

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Coyne (Pfalzer), 2:12 (sh); 2, CAN, Saulnier (Armstrong, Rattray), 3:11 (pp). Penalties: USA, Hickel (body checking), 1:24; USA, Gedman (delay of game), 2:42; USA, Hickel (hooking), 6:16, CAN, Armstrong (roughing), 6:41; USA, Carpenter (tripping), 9:18; USA, Bench (too many players), 12:28; CAN, Davis (hooking), 14:21.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, CAN, Rattray (unassisted), 11:11. Penalties: CAN, Rattray (holding the stick), :13; CAN, Doyle (hooking), 8:42; USA, Figueroa (tripping), 17:37.

Third Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Carpenter (Coyne, Pfalzer), 7:41 (pp); 5, USA, Skarupa (Mangene, Hickel), 11:09 (pp); 6, CAN, Campbell (Davis, Lambert), 11:32; 7, USA, Monk (Gedman, Case), 13:46. Penalties: CAN, Fratkin (holding), 1:09; CAN, Doyle (high sticking), 5:53; CAN, Ambrose (boarding), 7:25; CAN, Saulnier (hooking), 8:44; CAN, Doyle (holding), 10:32.