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Canada 13 – Czech Republic 0 (Final)

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION LEADS CANADA TO SEMIFINALS

(Courtesy of Hockey Canada)

FÜSSEN, GERMANY – It’s off to the semifinals for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team.

Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Dawson College, Collégial AA), Saige Pacholok (Edmonton, AB/Edmonton, WWHL) and Jessica Wong (Baddeck, NS/Stoney Creek, PWHL) finished with four points apiece as Canada wrapped up first place in Group B with a 13-0 win over the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Canada finished with a perfect 3-0 record in preliminary round play, outscoring the opposition 35-1. It will face either the United States or Sweden in Friday’s semifinals – the Americans and Swedes play later Wednesday to decide first and second place in Group A.

It took just 17 seconds for Canada to hit the board first, as Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, MB/Westman, Midget AA) snapped a shot from the point that found its way over the shoulder of Czech netminder Monika Pencikova for a quick 1-0 lead.

After Brittany Phillips (Lauder, MB/Westman, Midget AA) had made it 2-0 just past the midway point of the period, Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Mississauga, CWHL) took the puck end-to-end for an unassisted marker just 74 seconds later, sending Canada to the dressing room up three goals.

Canada outshot the Czechs 22-2 in the first period and continued the offensive onslaught early in the second period, as Jenner and Phillips each added their second of the game before the period was half over.

Poulin made it a half-dozen Canadian goals, scoring as she was falling down, and Kaleigh Fratkin (Burnaby, BC/Detroit Little Caesars, Midget AAA) registered her first goal of the tournament, shorthanded, to make it 7-0 after two periods.

With the game well in hand, Poulin added her second of the game, Phillips finished her hat trick, Laurie Kingsbury (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) scored twice and Melodie Daoust (Valleyfield, QC/Sélects, Midget AA) and Jessica Campbell (Melville, SK/Pursuit of Excellence) added goals of their own – all in the third period – as Canada scored six times in the final frame.

Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, QC/Edouard-Montpetit, Collégial AA) picked up her second win of the tournament, turning aside nine shots to record her first shutout.

Eleven players finished with multiple-point games, led by Poulin (two goals, two assists), Pacholok (four assists) and Wong (four assists). Wong and Poulin co-lead the team in scoring through the prelims, with nine points each.