2014-15 National Women's Team

IRWIN SCORES WINNER, RED BEATS WHITE IN FALL FESTIVAL FINALE

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – A power-play goal from Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) with 5:48 to go was the game-winner as Red topped White 3-2 on Sunday afternoon to close out Canada’s National Women’s Team Fall Festival.

As Red worked the puck around on the man advantage, Samantha Sutherland (Cochrane, Alta./Boston University, HE) found Irwin in front with a no-look, behind-the-back pass, and the two-time Olympic gold medallist redirected it past White goaltender Jaimie Leonoff (Montreal, Que./Yale University, ECAC).

Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, Midget AAA) and Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, Man./University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) also scored for Red.

White got goals from Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) and Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA).

After clawing back from three one-goal deficits in its 5-3 round-robin loss to White on Thursday, Red gave up a pair of leads Sunday before Irwin’s goal clinched the victory.

Potomak opened the scoring just 6:12 in, taking a pass from Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin, WCHA) in front and roofing a shot over the shoulder of Leonoff from in close for the lone goal of the first period.

Johnston tied the game less than three minutes into the second, one-timing a Sarah Davis (Paradise, N.L./Calgary, CWHL) feed through the legs of Red netminder Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, Ont./Boston, CWHL), but Lacquette hammered in a point shot with the teams playing four-on-four midway through the middle frame to restore the Red lead through 40 minutes.

Nurse tied it again for White just past the seven-minute mark of the third period, ripping a wrist shot over Lacasse’s glove, but Irwin’s goal was the difference as Red earned first place in the camp tournament.

Lacasse earned the win for Red, making 18 saves, while Leonoff finished with 24 stops in a losing cause.