2019 National Women's Under-18 Championship

ONTARIO BLUE DEFEATS MANITOBA

QUINTON AMUNDSON

MORDEN, Man. – Ontario Blue’s offence motored on Day 1 of the 2019 National Women’s Under-18 Championship as five different players scored goals in a 5-1 victory over host Manitoba on Tuesday night.

Kristina Bahl (Mississauga, Ont.), Madison Desmarais (North Bay, Ont.), Kristyn McQuigge (Bowmanville, Ont.), Alyssa Machado (Mississauga, Ont.) and Taylor Larsen (Bolton, Ont.) generated tallies for the 2017 silver medallist, which generated momentum in the match on the strength of two shorthanded goals.

Jori-Hansen Young (Brandon, Man.) scored an unassisted goal in the second for Manitoba to avoid an opening night shutout.

Mireille Kingsley (Sudbury, Ont.), the MVP of the 2019 Esso Cup, stopped 25 of the 26 shots she faced for the win, while Megan Relf’s (Oakbank, Man.) 47-save effort gave her team every chance to stay within reach.

Ontario Blue played a first period with authority by outshooting Manitoba 19-6 and delivering a three-goal flurry in just over eight minutes: Bahl got Ontario Blue on the board at 8:24 with a rebound goal, Desmarais pounced on a loose puck in the slot four minutes later during a Manitoba player advantage and McQuigge capped the scoring in the frame, jamming home a loose puck in the crease.

Kinglsey’s shutout bid was spoiled with less than six minutes to go in the second with a blistering backhand shot from Hansen-Young. The lone goal of the middle period went against the grain as Ontario Blue outshot Manitoba 19-10.

The third period was the most back-and-forth as Ontario’s shot advantage was only 14-10, but Blue pulled away thanks to a shot from Macado at 4:17. Larsen put an exclamation point on the eventual win with a shorthanded goal to the top right corner on a breakaway.

Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.