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U.S. women take game one against Canada

Sydney Shearen of the U.S. mixes it up while attempting to control an airborne puck in front the net guarded by Canadian goaltender Madelyn McArthur during the third period of Thursday’s game. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

LAKE PLACID — The United States rode a three-goal opening period to a 4-1 victory over Canada on Thursday to kick off a three-game series between each country’s under-18 women’s national ice hockey teams at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.

The U.S. took a 3-0 lead by burying three goals in a span of just over eight minutes starting with a power-play tally midway through the first period, and then finished things off on an empty-netter with 37 seconds remaining in the game. Canada scored its lone goal at the 6:42 mark of the second stanza.

Four different players found the back of the net for the Americans and Maggie Flaherty got things going on a wrist shot from the right wing that beat Canadian goaltender Halle Oswald 10:42 into the game for a 1-0 U.S. edge. Casey O’Brien then pushed the U.S. lead to two goals when she found herself wide open at the top of the crease and banged home a puck that popped out of traffic on the right side of the net.

Makenna Webster tacked on the third U.S. goal with 1:13 remaining in the first, and at that point, it looked like the Americans were well on their way to an easy win. The Canadians, however, appeared to finally get their skates going in the second and cut the U.S. advantage to 3-1 when Audrey-Anne Veillette one-timed a power-play goal past netminder Lindsay Reed.

But despite outshooting the U.S. in the second and third periods, Canada was unable to come up with another tally in the contest.

Madison Bizal (7) reaches for the puck while U.S teammate Dominique Petrie and Rebecca Vanstone of Canada close in on the play during Thursday’s under-18 game at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

Abbey Murphy rounded out the scoring when she flipped a puck from just inside the Canadian blue line into an empty net at the 18:47 mark of the third.

Canada finished with 29-27 edge in shots on goal. Reed stopped all but one of the 29 shots she faced to earn the win in goal for the U.S. Oswald started in goal for Canada and recorded 11 saves on 14 shots before being replaced by Madelyn McArthur midway through the second period. McArthur finished with 12 saves.

O’Brien and Webster also chipped in one assist each to finish with two-point performances. Anne Bloomer, Dominique Petrie and Hannah Bilka picked up an assist apiece in the win. Clair Dalton and Willow Slobodzian recorded assists on Canada’s only goal.

The teams play two more times this weekend on the 1980 ice sheet at the Olympic Center. They will face off tonight starting at 5 p.m., and wrap up play Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

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