July 9, 1996
NR.060

WOMEN'S U19 HOCKEY  CANADA 6 - USA 3

LAKE PLACID (New York) - Winnipeg's Cindy Klassen scored the winning goal at 17:28 in Canada's national women's under-19 team's 6-3 win over the United States tonight in Lake Placid, New York.

Canada dropped the first of the three-game series 4-1 on Monday. Klassen also scored Canada's lone goal in the opening game loss. The three-game summit against the Americans wraps-up tomorrow with a 3 p.m. game.

The Americans took a one-goal first period lead, but four second period goals powered the Canadians to a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes. Trish Powers of Spencerville, Ont., Michelle Thornton of Gloucester, Ont., Lisa Backman of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Klassen scored in the middle frame.

Backman scored her second goal of the game at 2:55 of the third and Caroline Ouellette of Montreal capped off Team Canada's scoring at 3:17. The Americans recorded their third goal at 5:56 for the final 6-3 result in Canada's favor.

Tania Pinelli of Hamilton earned the win making 29 saves.

"Team Canada played with a lot of heart, pride and emotion," said head coach Daniele Sauvageau of St.Eustache, Que. "We played bigger than our size by working hard without the puck. We supported the play much better than in the first game, and we moved the puck well together as a team."

The Canadian team has been holding daily practices in Lake Placid since July 6.