USA Hockey wins gold at Hockey Canada Cup

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.) made 35 saves and the U.S. Women's National Team scored two power-play goals to secure a 2-1 victory over Canada in the championship game of the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup here tonight at GM Place. Team USA finished the tournament, which served as a test event for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with a 4-0-0-1 record.

The game-winning goal came off the stick of Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.) at 1:18 of the final period, as Team USA posted its third straight win over Canada and sixth victory in the last eight meetings. The win also marked Vetter's fifth straight in net against the Canadians.

Team USA celebrates the victory.  Game photos

"I was very happy with the outcome of the game tonight," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson. "Jessie kept us in the game early on and we played a very competitive and intense game. It was nice to come away with a victory in the first-ever Hockey Canada Cup."

Team USA jumped out to a 1-0 lead during a power play at 8:27 of the first period when Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) backhanded a shot from the goal line that deflected off Sarah Vaillancourt's skate and into the open right side of the net. Canada evened the score during a 5-on-3 advantage with :25 to go in the frame, as Meghan Agosta knocked in a Hayley Wickenheiser rebound from the right post.

The score remained locked at 1-1 throughout the second period, with Team USA killing off three Canadian power plays and holding a 9-7 advantage in shots.

After Wickenheiser was called for slashing :43 into the final stanza, Darwitz scored to put the Americans up 2-1. Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) took a hard slap shot from the top of the slot that bounced off the end boards and Darwitz whacked it in from the left post at 1:18.

NOTES: All three goals were scored on the power play ... Team USA was 2-for-5 with the man advantage, while killing off 7-of-8 Canadian power-play opportunities ... Natalie Darwitz led the U.S. and ranked third in the tournament with six points (2-4). Meanwhile, Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.) led team and tournament defensemen with five points (1-4) ... Coverage of the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup can be found on QwestTour.com, USAHockey.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and the Qwest Tour's Twitter page. The U.S. roster can be downloaded here, while the media guide can be found here... Mark Johnson, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin, is leading Team USA through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Dave Flint, head women's ice hockey coach at Northeastern University, and Jodi McKenna, head women's ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University, are serving as assistant coaches ... The 2009-10 U.S. Women's National Team will be centralized in Blaine, Minn., starting on Sept. 14 and will take part in the Qwest Tour, a 10-game, nine-city domestic tour that begins on Sept. 25 in St. Paul, Minn., and concludes just prior to the 2010 Olympics.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA	1	0	1 --	2
CAN	1	0	0 --	1

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, M.Lamoureux (J.Lamoureux, Zaugg-Siergiej), 8:27 (pp); 2, CAN, Agosta (Wickenheiser, Poulin), 19:35. Penalties: USA, Darwitz (hooking), 4:00; CAN, Apps (hooking), 6:29; CAN, Apps (body-checking), 11:03; USA, Marvin (body-checking), 17:56; USA, Cahow (interference), 18:48.

Second Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Thatcher (hooking), 6:46; USA, Bellamy (roughing), 8:45; CAN, Johnston (roughing), 8:45; CAN, Irwin (roughing), 8:45; USA, Stack (roughing), 12:05; USA, Engstrom (interference), 17:38.

Third Period - Scoring: 3, USA, Darwitz (Chu, Cahow), 1:18 (pp). Penalties: CAN, Wickenheiser (slashing), :43; USA, Bellamy (delay of game), 6:07; USA, Bellamy (tripping), 13:21; CAN, Poulin (delay of game), 17:03.

Shots by Period	1	2	3	Total
USA	9	9	11	29
CAN	20	7	8	35
Goaltenders (SH/SV)	1	2	3	Total
USA, Vetter, 60:00	20-19	7-7	8-8	35-34
CAN, St-Pierre, 60:00	9-8	9-9	11-10	29-27

Power Play: USA 2-5; CAN 1-8
Penalties: USA 9-18; CAN 6-12
Officials: Referee-Mary Anne Gage (CAN); Linesmen-Heather Richardson (CAN), Helene Roy (CAN)
Attendance: 8,137