Team Canada Tops Midget AAA Storm
The Grande Peace Athletic Club Ernie's Sports Experts Midget AAA Storm won a battle, but lost the war in the Revolution Arena on Friday night.
In a post-game shootout, featuring five shooters from each team, the Storm defeated the Team Canada Women's Hockey Team 2-1.
That came moments after the Storm had fallen 5-3 in what was a regular season Alberta Midget Hockey League game. Team Canada, as it gets ready for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, are part of the AMHL this year playing 24 games that count for the midget teams.
After falling behind 1-0 just 27 seconds into the game - on a goal by Rebecca Johnston - the Storm were on their heels early.
They recovered nicely outshooting Team Canada 13-7 in the opening frame, but failed to score despite some good pressure.
The Storm took control in the second.
Carter Massier's top shelf wrister at 4:22 evened it at ones; Devan Klassen's point shot leaked through Team Canada netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens at 12:03 to make it 2-1; and then Kaden Reinders made it 3-1 on the powerplay from a bad angle at 14:18.
The third belonged to Team Canada.
Brigette Lacquette, on the powerplay, got Team Canada back in it at 3-2 at 8:56; Blayre Turnbull, using a Storm defenceman as a screen on a one-one-one, tied the game at 3-3 at 13:15; and a beautiful tic-tac-toe play, with Brianne Jenner being the toe, resulted in the game winner at 17:27. Laura Fortino finished it off with an empty netter with just 0.3 to go in the final period.
In the shootout Edge Lambert and Massier scored for the Storm while Meghan Mikkelson got the Team Canada goal.
Team Canada took four minors to the Storm's two and held a 28-27 edge in shots on goal with 13 of those coming in the final 20 minutes.
The Storm continue regular season AMHL play on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the County Crosslink Sportsplex against the Calgary Royals.
