CANADA FALLS TO OHA IN FIRST PRE-WORLDS GAME

JASON LA ROSE

PENTICTON, B.C. – Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Montreal, CWHL) scored twice, including the game-tying goal midway through the third period, but Canada’s National Women’s Team dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Okanagan Hockey Academy Selects in its first exhibition game Monday night.

The Canadians are holding their pre-competition camp in Penticton before heading north to Kamloops, B.C., for the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship, which begins next Monday.

Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) and Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) added a goal and an assist apiece, and Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) contributed two assists for Canada.

The Canadians came out with jump, taking a 2-0 lead before the eight-minute mark of the opening period; Poulin took a perfect chip pass from Agosta to open the scoring at 6:41, and Jenner knocked in the rebound of a Jillian Saulnier (Halifax, N.S./Calgary, CWHL) shot just 1:17 later for a two-goal advantage.

But the OHA side battled back to tie the game, with Keltie Jeri-Leon and Mitch MacMillan both beating Canadian netminder Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Harvard University, ECAC) to send the game to the first intermission even at 2-2.

MacMillan added his second of the game at the 4:10 mark of the second period, rifling a shot past Maschmeyer, and Drew Carter pushed the OHA lead to 4-2 two minutes after that.

The Selects controlled the play in the second period, outshooting Canada 14-8.

But Fortino cut the Canadian deficit to one five minutes into the third period, pinching in off the blue-line to redirect a feed from Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), and Poulin ripped a wrist shot up and over OHA goaltender Shane Farkas with the Canadians shorthanded at 9:03, forcing overtime.

The extra period wouldn’t last long, however; Quinn Schneidmiller snuck a shot from the top of the face-off circle through Maschmeyer just 28 seconds in for the game-winner.

The two teams will meet again Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton; puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.