Canada secures shootout victory in Game 2 to even Rivalry Series with U.S.

Marie-Phillip Poulin scored the go-ahead goal and 17-year-old Chloe Primerano scored her first career goal to clinch a 2-0 shootout win for Team Canada to even the Rivalry Series with the U.S. at a win apiece on Friday night.

Poulin scored a short-handed goal in the second period, Laura Stacey scored two goals and Emma Maltais scored on a power play to give Canada a 4-1 lead in the third period and the Canadians had a five-minute power play with more than seven minutes left in regulation but saw it disappear in front of an enthusiastic Salt Lake City crowd cheering on a U.S. rally.

Hayley Scamurra drove Poulin hard into the boards and the Team Canada captain dropped to the ice clutching her right shoulder. She was helped off the ice and gingerly worked her shoulder while sitting on the bench while her teammates worked the power play.

But Canada was whistled for a two-minute cross-checking penalty seconds into its player advantage and the U.S. pulled goalkeeper Nicole Hensley for an extra skater. Captain Hilary Knight punched home a rebound from the slot to make it 4-2. Grace Zumwinkle scored a short-handed goal, her second of the game, to make it 4-3 and Knight scored again with 1:26 left to tie the game at 4-4.

Neither team could score in the 3-on-3 overtime period and the U.S. could not solve Team Canada goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens on five tries in the shootout. Hensley stopped Brianne Jenner on Canada's first shootout attempt but Poulin beat the keeper cleanly to take a 1—0 lead. Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and Zumwinkle were denied and Primerano took Canada's fifth attempt and scored on a close-in backhand shot to seal the victory.

Gwyneth Phillips got the start in goal for the U.S. and allowed a single first-period goal to Stacy and was pulled in favour of Hensley to start the second period.

The series is tied at one game apiece and continues Sunday in Boise, Idaho. The final two games in the five-game series will be played in Canada in February.