2015-16 National Women's Development Team

RATTRAY’S THREE POINTS LEAD CANADA INTO NATIONS CUP FINAL

JASON LA ROSE

FÜSSEN, Germany – Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, Ont./Brampton, CHWL) scored twice and added an assist, leading the way for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team as it booked a spot in the gold medal game at the 2016 Nations Cup with a 4-2 win over Russia on Tuesday.

The win puts Canada atop Group B, and means it will play for gold on Thursday against the Group A winner (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT) in search of its 11th gold medal at the annual tournament.

Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./McGill University, RSEQ) and Katelyn Gosling (London, Ont./University of Western Ontario, OUA), with her first international goal, did the rest of the scoring for Canada.

Neither team found the back of the net in the first period, and it took until the 7:31 of the second for the scoring to start; Elina Mitrofanova beat Canadian netminder Elaine Chuli (Waterford, Ont./University of Connecticut, HE) to give the Russians the 1-0 lead.

But Canada struck back with a fast and furious offensive burst to take control. Rattray tied the game at 11:23, and helped set up Daoust for the go-ahead goal at 12:52 before Gosling’s marker at 14:57 sent the Canadians to the dressing room up 3-1.

Rattray added a second goal for good measure early in the third period before Valeria Pavlova capped the scoring with a consolation tally on the power play for the Russians in the final minute.

It’s the third time in its last three trips Canada will appear in the gold medal game at the tournament; it won gold in 2013 and 2015, the most recent of its 10 titles since first taking part in 2003.