Jan. 7, 2008

Ravensburg, Germany - Mercyhurst sophomore Meghan Agosta was named Team Canada's Top Forward as Canada's National Women's Under-22 Team won gold at the European Air Canada Cup Sunday. Canada topped Finland 7-5 in the championship game. It was Canada's sixth straight title in as many tries.

Agosta, who led Canada and the tournament in scoring with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in four games, also earned a spot on the tournament all-star team.

The win didn't come easily as Finland spurted to a 2-0 lead after a period. One of the goals was a power play tallied by Providence junior forward Mari Pehkonen. Providence will host Mercyhurst twice this coming weekend as the Lakers resume play in 2008.

Canada got one back early in the second, as Mercyhurst freshman Jesse Scanzano scored on the power play at 4:53.

Canadian determination was awarded again at 7:55 as Scanzano chased down a loose puck and centered to Jennifer Wakefield of New Hampshire, who found the back of the net to knot the game at 2-2.

Just 27 seconds later Canada generated a 2-on-1 rush and Mercyhurst junior Valerie Chouinard converted a pass from Agosta to put Canada ahead, 3-2.

The Finns evened the score at 10:08 on the power play and clicked again at 15:06. But Canada capped off the scoring in a wild 20 minutes as Haley Irwin of Minnesota-Duluth took a pass from Mercyhurst senior captain Stephanie Jones and scored from the high slot to tie the score heading at 4-4 into the intermission.

The Agosta-Chouinard duo took only 10 seconds of the third to restore the lead as Agosta snapped up a rebound off a shot from Chouinard and hit the back of the net. Finland tied the score for the last time at 1:36 in a goal-mouth scramble.

But the Canadians scored the final goals of the game at 7:00 and at 18:48 to secure the victory.

Canada outshot Finland 13-5 in the decisive third period and 39-32 overall. Agosta and Chouinard had a goal and two assists apiece in the contest while Scanzano had one and one and Jones contributed an assist.

Mercyhurst resumes play next weekend with a pair of games at Providence.