2007 National Women's Under-18 Championship

SPOONER’S HAT TRICK LEADS ONTARIO RED INTO ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL GAME

Natalie Spooner scored her first three goals of this year’s National Women’s Under-18 Championship, the final two coming just 11 seconds apart in the third period, as Ontario Red moved one step away from making it four national championships in a row with a 6-1 win over Team Atlantic in Saturday afternoon’s first semi-final.

The win moves Ontario Red into Sunday afternoon’s gold medal game (1:00 p.m. ET), which can be seen live on TSN/RDS.

As they have so many times before at this event, Ontario Red came out firing, and Carolyne Prevost put them up 1-0 just 33 seconds into the game, snapping the puck past Team Atlantic goaltender Ashley Boutilier. It was 2-0 just 49 seconds later, as Candice Styles took a centering pass from Brianne Jenner and found space between Boutilier’s pads.

Spooner��s first goal at 4:03 of the opening period put even more distance between the teams, as the Scarborough, ON native went low to the glove side of Boutilier for a 3-0 lead.

Although Ontario Red failed to score again in the opening 20 minutes it was dominant throughout, outshooting Team Atlantic 19-2 and taking a 3-0 lead to the dressing room.

Team Atlantic was a little more offensive in the second period while holding back the Ontario Red offence – both teams had eight shots in the middle frame – but it was Ontario Red who registered the only goal, as Jessica Jones beat Boutilier for a 4-0 lead.

The third period became a Natalie Spooner highlight reel, as the Ontario Red captain scored at 12:56, and then again at 13:07 to round out the scoring for her team. Not surprisingly, Spooner picked up Ontario Red’s Player of the Game nod, which was presented to her by Danielle Goyette, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and Spooner’s assistant coach this summer on the National Women’s Under-18 Team.

Amanda Kean – who was named her team’s Player of the Game – broke the shutout bid of Ontario Red goaltender Genny Ladiges with just over three minutes to play, but it was far from enough for Team Atlantic, who will play for bronze on Sunday morning (9:00 a.m. ET).