Canada 2-1 United States  (OT)
Exhibition Game
Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul 
Sunday, December 3, 2017

Brianne Jenner scored 37 seconds into overtime to lift Canada’s National Women’s Team to a 2-1 win over the United States on Sunday, and a 2-1 lead in the teams’ six-game pre-Olympic series.

Jenner took a pass from Rebecca Johnston and went top-shelf blocker side for her seventh career goal against the U.S.

Marie-Philip Poulin scored in regulation for Canada, on an assist from Meghan Agosta.

Shannon Szabados made 27 saves in the win.

After a goal-less first period, Megan Keller opened the scoring only 1:20 into the second period on a broken play. After her shot from the circle got caught in a teammate’s skates, Keller followed the play and scored glove side from the low slot.

Canada finally got on the board with just over two minutes remaining in the middle period. Poulin redirected a pass at the blue line to Agosta, who drove toward the net; Agosta saw her shot saved, but a trailing Poulin put in the rebound.

Canada was outshot 23-13 over 40 minutes, but Szabados stood tall in the paint, withstanding the pressure the Americans applied near her crease.

Penalties proved to be the story in the series’ first two games: In Game 1, Canada surrendered two power play goals in defeat; in Game 2, the team successfully killed off nine penalties in victory.

For two periods, Game 3 followed the script. Canada took three more penalties in the opening period, hampering its ability to go on an extended attack. It allowed a power play goal in the second, and started both the second and third periods on the penalty kill.

The script flipped in the third. Canada dictated play over the final period, earning three power play opportunities of its own and taking that momentum into the short overtime period.

Canada finished with 26 shots. Maddie Rooney took the loss in net.

The teams return to the ice on Tuesday, with Game 4 going in Winnipeg.

IHLC: With the victory, Canada captures their record 34th International Hockey Lineal Championship, their first since the opening of last month’s Four Nations Cup. The meeting is the 139th between these classic women’s rivals, and the first since the final of the aforementioned Four Nations Cup, improving Canada’s record all-time to 77-60-1; this marked the fourth-ever meeting in Saint Paul, improving Canada to 3-1 there all-time in their fist showdown since 2013, and marked their first overtime game since the Gold Medal Game at this year’s World Championships. These two return north of the border to meet again in Winnipeg in 48 hours’ time, with IHLC glory on the line.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
05:07 –  PEN – Clark, tripping
07:58 –  PEN – Poulin, hooking
19:54 –  PEN – Irwin, hooking

2nd Period
21:20 –  PP GOAL – Keller (Carpenter)
21:20 –  PEN – Hart, hooking
23:37 –  PEN – Duggan, holding
34:31 –  PEN – Skarupa, slashing
37:52 –  GOAL – Poulin (Agosta)
39:27 –  PEN – Larocque, roughing

3rd Period
47:12 –  PEN – Flanagan, slashing
51:47 –  PEN – Bellamy, holding
56:16 –  PEN – Marvin, holding

Overtime
60:37 –  GOAL – Jenner (Johnston, Larocque)

GOALTENDERS
W:  Szabados (27-28)
L:  Rooney (24-26)

SHOTS ON GOAL
 4+9+12+1 = 26
 10+13+5+0 = 28

ROSTERS
 Goaltenders: Ann-Renée Desbiens, Shannon Szabados. Defence: Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Micah Hart, Jocelyne Larocque (A), Meaghan Mikkelson, Lauriane Rougeau. Forwards: Meghan Agosta, Emily Clark, Haley Irwin, Brianne Jenner (A), Rebecca Johnston, Sarah Nurse, Sarah Potomak, Marie-Philip Poulin (C), Jillian Saulnier, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull, Jennifer Wakefield.
Goaltenders: Alex Rigsby, Maddie Rooney. Defence: Cayla Barnes, Kacey Bellamy (A), Kali Flanagan, Megan Keller, Monique Lamoureux, Sidney Morin, Emily Pfalzer, Lee Stecklein. Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan (C), Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin, Kelly Pannek, Amanda Pelkey, Haley Skarupa.

Article Credit: Hockey Canada
Photo Credit: Team Canada Twitter – IIHF – HHOF – IOC