U.S. Women’s Hockey Splits Opening Games With Canada

By Zola Elder

Wednesday, August 16, 2023
U.S. Splits Opening Games With Canada
Collegiate Team Wins 4-1, Under-18 Team Drops Contest 4-0

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team won its opening game of the Collegiate Select Series, 4-1, against Canada at the Lake Placid Olympic Center on Wednesday. With the victory, the U.S. takes a 1-0-0-0 lead in the three-game series.

The U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team dropped its opening game of the Under-18 Select Series, 4-0.

The second game of both series will take place Thursday, August 17, at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. The Collegiate Series game will start at 3 p.m. ET and the Under-18 Series game will begin at 6 p.m. ET. Both games can be viewed live on USAHockeyTV.com. Tickets for both games can be purchased HERE.

U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team 4, Canada 1

The U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team tallied four unanswered goals as they topped Canada, 4-1, in the opening game of the Collegiate Select Series at the Lake Placid Olympic Center on Wednesday.

“We’ve got the group together for a short time and we’ve been talking about making the most of every opportunity we have together,” said Chelsea Walkland (Rochester, N.Y.), head coach of the 2023 U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team. “Our goal since we came together a couple days ago is to keep getting better every single day. I was really happy with the group, it was a team win and everyone contributed.”

The first period opened with action at both ends of the ice, with the U.S. recording back-to-back power-play opportunities five minutes into the first. With time expiring on Team USA’s second penalty, a turnover behind the U.S. net left a Canadian wide open, but goaltender Gwyneth Philips (Oxford, Ohio) made the save.

Canada’s Jocelyn Amos opened the scoring 10 minutes in, lifting a rising shot blocker side from the slot. Just 27 seconds later, Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Minn.) took a one-timer off a turnover to knot the game at 1-1.

Joy Dunne (O’Fallon, Mo.) put Team USA up 2-1 right before the first intermission, putting a shot past the Canadian netminder from right inside the right circle. Early in the second, Dunne tallied her second off the game, to open a 3-1 lead.

Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) added an empty-net goal to extend the lead to 4-1. Philips made 17 saves in the winning effort.

NOTES: The U.S. outshot Canada, 31-18… Makenna Webster (St. Louis, Mo.) will serve as captain, Ally Simpson (Frisco, Texas) will serve as assistant captain.

U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team 0, Canada 4

The U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team dropped the opening game of the Select Series vs. Canada, 4-0, at the Lake Placid Olympic Center on Wednesday.

“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome of the game,” said Liz Keady Norton (Boston, Mass.), head coach of the 2023 U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team. “We’re looking forward to regrouping and coming back stronger tomorrow.”

In the opening minutes of the contest, Team USA hit metal when Taylor Senecal (Essex Junction, Vt.) rung a shot from the point off the far post to keep the home team off the board.

With 14:21 left in the first, goaltender Layla Hemp (Chanhassen, Minn.) made a glove save off a Canadian breakaway, keeping the score at 0-0.

Canada broke the ice early in the second, when Makayla Watson snuck a shot from the point past Hemp to put them up 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Quinn Taylor (Webster, N.Y.) picked up a breakaway at the blue line, but lifted the shot just wide of the net.

Canada extended its lead to 2-0 after Maxine Cimoroni converted on the power play, flipping a loose puck glove side. The opponent added another goal in the middle frame to go up 3-0.

Canada put its fourth on the board late in the third when Sienna D’Alessandro converted on the power play.

NOTES: Canada outshot the U.S., 40-13… Maggie Scannell (Wynantskill, N.Y.) will serve as captain of the team.

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