DUFAULT’S PAIR LEAD YELLOW TO SECOND DEVELOPMENT CAMP WIN

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Meghan Dufault (Winnipeg, Man./University of North Dakota, WCHA) scored twice, helping Yellow shake off a very early deficit and beat Blue 4-1 at Canada’s National Women’s Development Team selection camp on Friday night.

Yellow has won both games at camp thus far, and will look for the three-game intrasquad sweep in Saturday’s finale (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre.

Gina Repaci (Etobicoke, Ont./University of Vermont (HE) and Shannon MacAulay (Mount Herbert P.E.I./Clarkson University, ECAC) had the other goals for Yellow, which held a sizable 35-24 advantage in shots on goal.

Victoria Bach (Milton, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) was the lone goal scorer for Blue.

It was Blue that opened the scoring just nine seconds after the puck dropped to start the game; a shoot-in from centre ice ricocheted off the stick of Yellow goaltender Jaimie Leonoff (Montreal, Que./Yale University, ECAC) and in front to Bach, who had a wide-open net for an early 1-0 lead.

But that would be the lone puck to beat either Leonoff or Emerance Maschmeyer (Brudeheim, Alta./Harvard University, ECAC), who combined for 23 saves in 30 minutes each – Leonoff stopped eight of nine, while Maschmeyer was perfect on 15 chances.

Dufault tied the game less than nine minutes after Bach’s goal, stepping in front and going bar down over the shoulder of Blue netminder Kimberly Newell (Burnaby, B.C./Princeton University, ECAC) to send the teams to the intermission tied 1-1.

Yellow struck early in the second period for the eventual game-winner; Repaci stepped over the blue-line and unleashed a shot that found its way past Newell to make it 2-1 just 1:36 into the middle frame.

Dufault added her second of the game 1:52 into the third period, finishing off a picture-perfect give-and-go with Karly Heffernan (Sherwood Park, Alta./Pursuit of Excellence, JWHL) with a tap-in goal.

Blue had its best chance to get back into the game shortly after Dufault’s goal with a pair of five-on-three power plays – including a 95-second two-man advantage – but couldn’t solve Maschmeyer.

MacAulay capped the scoring with 2:17 to go, lifting a backhand up and over Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que./University of Wisconsin, WCHA).

Newell and Desbiens split the goaltending duties for Blue, each allowing two goals; Newell made 19 saves on 21 chances, while Desbiens turned away 12 of the 14 shots directed her way.