CALGARY, ALBERTA — The U.S. Women’s Under-22 Select Team shutout Canada, 6-0, in the second game of the 2014 Under-22 Series. Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.) tallied two goals and Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) picked up three assists.
“We played extremely well today and did the things we needed to do to be successful," said Ken Klee, head coach of the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team. "Every line played great and we were certainly happy with our entire team.”
Four minutes into the first period, the U.S. opened the scoring when Brandt stole the puck in the right corner, circled back behind the net and threw the bouncing puck out in front. Alyssa Gagliardi (Raleigh, N.C.) chopped the puck on net, and the Canadian goaltender made the first save, but Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.) slapped the rebound into a nearly empty net.
Team USA went up 2-0 when Brandt fed Lexi Bender (Snohomish, Wash.) as she rushed into the offensive zone. Bender weaved between a pair of Canadians and, from the left circle, slipped in the puck low on the far side after it deflected off a skate.
For the third U.S. goal, Emily Pfazler (Getzville, N.Y.) rushed into the offensive zone on the right wing, carried the puck behind the net and tossed it in front for a waiting Miye D’Oench (New York, N.Y.), who easily finished the play, tucking the puck underneath the goaltender.
On the power play, Michelle Picard (Taunton, Mass.) rimmed the puck around the boards to Brandt behind the Canadians’ net. Brandt one-touched a pass to Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.) at the right hash marks, and she wristed in the puck for the 4-0 lead.
The U.S. struck again in the first two minutes of the second stanza on a tic-tac-toe play from Skarupa to Brandt and across the crease to Cameranesi who tapped it home on the left side of the goalmouth for her second of the game.
With seven minutes left in the third period, Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.) fed a pass up the middle of the ice to Paige Savage (John’s Creek, Ga.). Savage blew past three Canadians at the offensive blue line, skated in alone and wired a shot low on the blocker side for the 6-0 final.
U.S. goaltender Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) faced seven shots, while Team USA tallied six goals on 24 shots.
The third and final game of the series takes place Sunday (Aug. 24) at noon ET.