CALGARY, Alta. – Led by a Madison Packer (Birmingham, Mich.) hat trick and goals from eight different players, the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team posted a convincing 11-0 victory over Russia in the first game of the inaugural 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship here tonight at the Father David Bauer Arena. Team USA held a 67-3 shots advantage in the game.
"We played okay and got better as the game went on," said Katey Stone, head coach for Team USA and also the head women's hockey coach at Harvard University. "We know we can come out faster and finish faster. We got our feet under us and hope to play the way we're capable of playing in the next game."
Team USA controlled play for the majority of the opening 20 minutes and gained a 20-0 shots advantage over the Russians. Meagan Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.), the youngest member of the American team, put the United States on the board first at the 7:34 mark during the lone power-play opportunity of the first frame. Brooke Ammerman (River Vale, N.J.) left a drop pass for Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) in the left faceoff circle and Decker sent it to Mangene, who wristed it past Russian netminder Anna Vinogradova.
The United States took a 2-0 lead at 11:21 of the period when Anne Schleper's (St. Cloud, Minn.) shot from the mid-slot was tipped in at the crease by Packer. Team USA tallied once more at 13:03 to take a 3-0 advantage into the second stanza when captain Sarah Erickson (LaPorte, Minn.) flipped in a shot from the bottom of the slot off a pass fromAmanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) in the corner.
The second period saw Team USA take a 7-0 lead. Packer scored her second of the outing just 2:02 into the stanza when she slipped Kelley Steadman's (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) rebound inside the near post from the right side of the net. Ashley Cottrell (Sterling Heights, Mich.) was next to score for the United States, as she put one between the legs of Vinogradova off a pass from Kasey Boucher (Lewiston, Maine) at 11:29, which prompted a switch to Julia Leskina in net for Russia.
Using a pair of power plays late in the second, the U.S. team tallied another pair of goals. The first was a one-timer by Schleper from the right point at 16:33 during a 5-on-3, while the second was a one-timer blasted in by Sasha Sherry (Lehighton, Pa.) at 18:29.
The final frame included another four Team USA goals to account for the 11-0 final score. Cottrell scored at 3:57 when her wrist shot from the slot beat Leskina stick side, then Kessel tallied less than a minute later at 4:38 for a nine-goal U.S. lead. The final two goals came from Kate Bacon (Chanhassen, Minn) at 8:37 and Packer at 11:09 to complete her hat trick.
The United States returns to action tomorrow night (Jan. 8) against Switzerland at 4:15 p.m. MT.
NOTES: Madison Packer was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... Alyssa Grogan(Eagan, Minn.) and Rebecca Ruegsegger (Lakewood, Colo.) combined for the U.S. shutout with a total of three saves ... Team USA went 3-for-4 on the power play and was never penalized in the game ... Eight different players had multiple-point nights ... All eight of the goal-scorers recorded their first career U.S. goals ... Joining Katey Stone on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Erin Whitten Hamlen, associate women’s ice hockey coach at the University of New Hampshire, and Bob Deraney, head women’s ice hockey coach at Providence College.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring By Period
USA 3 4 4 -- 11
RUS 0 0 0 -- 0
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Mangene (Decker, Schleper), 7:34 (pp); 2, USA, Packer (Schleper, Steadman), 11:21; 3, USA, Erickson (Kessel, Kelter), 13:03. Penalties: RUS, Padyanova (hooking), 5:36.
Second Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Packer (Steadman, Cottrell), 2:02; 5, USA, Cottrell (Boucher, Packer), 11:29; 6, USA Schleper (Kelter, Ammerman), 16:33 (5x3pp); 7, USA, Sherry (Wild, Steadman), 18:29 (pp). Penalties: RUS, Mitrofanova (body-checking), 15:35; RUS, Dyubanok (charging), 16:24.
Third Period - Scoring: 8, USA, Cottrell (unassisted), 3:57; 9, USA, Kessel (Stearns), 4:38; 10, USA, Bacon (Stearns), 8:37; 11, USA, Packer (unassisted), 11:09. Penalties: RUS, Team (too many players on the ice), 54:28.
Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 20 27 20 67
RUS 0 2 1 3
Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Grogan, 30:05 0-0 2-2 x-x 2-2
USA, Ruegsegger, 29:55 x-x 0-0 1-1 1-1
RUS, Vinogradova, 31:29 20-17 17-15 x-x 37-32
RUS, Leskina, 28:31 x-x 10-8 20-16 30-24
Power Play: USA 3-4; RUS 0-0
Penalties: USA 0-0; RUS 4-8
Officials: Referee-Anu Hirvonen (FIN); Linesmen-Denise Caughey (CAN), Bianca Schipper (NED)
Tag(s): 2008
