USA Women split in Select duels with Canada

Both the U-22 and U-18 USA Select teams saw their three game exhibition series with their Canadian counterparts come down to the final game and for the U-22 squad, that still didn’t settle things in their series played at Lake Placid, NY.

After opening its three game set with Canada with a 4-1 win Wednesday (Aug. 19) afternoon, the American U-22 side saw a late goal lift its rivals to a 2-1 edge a couple of days later. In the finale, played Saturday, the Americans and Canadians were even at 1-1 at the end of regulation, before Hannah Brandt‘s second of the contest lifted the Americans to the series win.

Meanwhile the U-18 squad made up of primarily Minnesota-based players also split the first two, falling 3-2 in the opener, Aug. 19, but fighting back the following night to even the set with a 2-0 shutout. The Canadians spoiled the rally though, taking the third match and the series win 5-2 Sunday (Aug. 22).

U-22 Series

For Brandt, a 5’6,” 150 lbs. native of Vadnais Heights, MN who will wear the ‘C’ for University of Minnesota when she starts her senior season this fall, the clinching goal was her third of the series.

In the opening contest, the USA found itself trailing 1-0 after a period, but fought back with two in both the second and third for the most lopsided win of the series.

Dana Trivigno from Setauket, NY notched the equalizer and Brandt connected on the game winner in the middle frame before third period goals by Haley Skarupa and Sydney Daniels locked it up for the host squad.

In the middle game, USA again found itself battling from behind, Sydney Baldwin, a 19-year-old defender from Minnetonka, MN fired the lone USA goal to tie the score with less than five minutes to play, but the Canadians notched the game winner just 67 seconds from the final buzzer.

U-18 Series 

In the other series a late goal lifted the Canadians to a narrow 3-2 win.

The Americans actually carried a 2-1 cushion out of the opening frame as Rebecca Gilmore from Wayland, MA and Natalie Snodgrass, a 5’6,” 155 lbs. forward from Eagan, MN sandwiched the Canadian goal with their scores, assissts going to Sydney Brodt, a 5’7, 135 lbs. forward from North Oaks, MN and Valerie Turgeon, a Colorado native who attends Shattuck St. Mary’s in Fairbault, MN.

The Canadian squad notched the equalizer in the middle period and added the game winner in the third to take control of the series.

Needing a big effort i the middle contest, the Americans owned a 28-10 edge in shots and Alex Gulstene, an American who currently calls Vancouver, BC home, stopped all 10 she faced to grab the shutout in goal.

Taylor Wente, a 5’8,” 130 lbs. forward from Plymouth, MN scored the game winnner on a feed from  Presley Norby, a 5’5,” 129 lbs. forward from Shorewood, MN and Norby notched the insurance marker from Catherine Skaja, a 5’6,” 135 lbs. forward from New Prague, MN.

That win set up the finale on Sunday, both teams coming out of a wild opening period even at 2-2, but the Canadians doing all of the scoring after that to take the series win with a 5-2 margin.

Alex Woken, a 5’8,” 150 lbs. forward from Fargo, ND picked up the first USA marker on a penalty shot and Wente scored the other.

Most of the members of the U-18 team will be returning to play for their respective High Schools or AAA outfits while the U-22 team members will be playing for various University programs and the latter will be core players on Team USA for the Four Nations Cup tournament later in the fall and the World Championships in the spring.