It was a battle of east vs. west in the gold medal game for women’s hockey at the 2019 Canada Winter Games, with Alberta reigning victorious after a 2-1 win over Québec at the Servus Downtown Arena in Red Deer.
Home-team Alberta came out with an early lead, and despite a power-play goal by Québec in the second period, held on through a wild third period to take the gold medal. This marks the second time Alberta has won the women’s hockey Canada Winter Games, after taking home gold in 2011.
Alberta struck first off a power-play goal from Kassy Betinol (Okotoks, Alta./Pursuit of Excellence, CSSHL), just over the halfway mark through the first period. Québec evened it up at 8:35 in the second, but Jaden Bogden (Edmonton, Alta./St. Albert, AFHL) put Alberta back in the lead heading into the second intermission. Québec battled hard with 31 shots on net, 15 of those coming in the third period, but goaltender Bella McKee (Irma, Alta./Lloydminster, AFHL) stood tall in net, making 30 saves.
Québec will be leaving Red Deer with an almost-perfect record, with five wins and just the one loss to their name. This also marks the eighth consecutive time that Québec’s women’s hockey team has medalled at the Canada Winter Games, having placed in every games since women’s hockey was included in 1991. Québec’s lone goal came off the stick of Brianna Ware (Pointe-Claire, Que./Lac St-Louis, LHFDQ), during a Québec power play. Goaltender Eve Gascon (Terrebonne, Que./ Collège Esther-Blondin, LHMAAAQ) put up a strong game, making 24 saves through three periods of play.
British Columbia takes down Ontario 5-4 to claim bronze
Earlier in the day, British Columbia and Ontario were locked in a back-and-forth battle that saw B.C. claim the bronze medal, defeating Ontario 5-4.
After a tough loss to Alberta in the semifinals the day before, British Columbia was able to pick up its first medal in women’s hockey at the Canada Winter Games since capturing bronze in 1991.
British Columbia’s Anne Cherkowski (Coldstream, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, CSSHL) opened the scoring in the first, but a back-and-forth second period saw Ontario leading, heading into the final twenty minutes. A second goal from Cherkowski, as well as one from Nina Jobst-Smith (North Vancouver, B.C./ECDC Memmingen, GER) tied them up, with the game-winner coming off the stick of Chanreet Bassi (Lake Country, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, CSSHL).
The 2019 Canada Winter Games leading goal scorer, Julia Gosling (London, Ont./London, PWHL), was able to tie it up for Ontario with less than ten minutes to go, while goaltender Amanda Rampado (Stoney Creek, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) faced 28 shots on net.