U.S. Collegiate Select Team Downs Canada 4-3

Behind a late third-period goal, the U.S. Women’s Collegiate Select Team topped Canada, 4-3, taking a commanding 2-0-0-0 lead in the Collegiate Select Series. 

“I’m so proud of how this team fought today. Canada came out strong and played really tough, but we were able to continue to adjust,” said Chelsea Walkland (Rochester, N.Y.), head coach of the U.S. Women’s Collegiate Select Team said. “Our special teams was really firing on all cylinders today as well. All the credit to the players and our assistant coaches, Holley Tyng and Lindsay Berman for their work.”

Casey O’Brien (Aquinnah, Mass.) opened the game’s scoring with 13:11 remaining in the first. With Team USA on the power play, O’Brien corralled a cross-ice shot in the left slot from Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Mich.) and ripped one past Canada’s netminder to go up, 1-0. 

Canada knotted the game at 1-1 when Maya Labad tapped a backdoor shot into the back of the net. The U.S. then regained the lead with less than a minute remaining off a Simms shot that trickled past Canada’s Hannah Murphy.

Canada jumped ahead, 3-2, with two goals in the middle frame from Sarah Wozniewicz and Abby Newhook, but with 3:10 remaining in the period Simms recorded her second of the game. The power-play goal tied the game at 3-3.