Tousignant leads Canada past Team World for 1st win at Para Ice Hockey Women's World Challenge
Para hockey pioneer from Terrebonne, Que., scores twice in bounce-back victory
Canada's women's Para hockey team bounced back at the Women's World Challenge with a 4-2 win over Team World on Friday in Green Bay, Wisc.
Para hockey pioneer Raphaëlle Tousignant led the way with a pair of highlight-reel goals and an assist, showcasing the offensive skills that helped her become the first-ever woman to make Canada's national team for the World Para Ice Hockey Championships last May.
While Para hockey is technically a mixed sport at the Paralympic level, only three female players have ever competed at the Games. The 21-year-old Tousignant is hoping to be the first for Canada.
Aubree Clements and Alyssa White also scored against Team World, which consists of players from 11 countries.
Canada improved to 1-1 with the win, while Team World fell to 1-1 in the four-team tournament.
😱 OH. MY. GOODNESS! 😱<br><br>🇨🇦 <a href="https://twitter.com/CSHWT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CSHWT</a>'s Raphaëlle Tousignant fires a shot into the net from the top of the face-off circles! 🥅 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParaIceHockey?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ParaIceHockey</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensWorldChallenge23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensWorldChallenge23</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Citi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Citi</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ParaSport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParaSport</a>
—@paraicehockeyVeteran goalie Tracey Arnold made the six saves for Canada. The Estevan, Sask., native helped Canada claim silver last year in the inaugural edition of the Women's World Challenge, also held in Green Bay.
Lena Schroeder, who represented Norway at the 2018 Paralympics, led Team World with two goals of her own, doing everything she could to stage a comeback.
Schroeder scored a power-play goal on a breakaway in the third period to make it a one-goal game, but Tousignant responded with her second goal of the game in the final minute to close out the win.
American goalie Lynsey Warne kept the score close throughout the game with a strong 12-save performance.
Hosted by World Para Ice Hockey, the tournament serves as an important stepping stone toward establishing a women's Para hockey world championship, with the ultimate goals of increasing female participation in the sport and having it added to the Paralympic program.
The U.S. blanked Great Britain 7-0 later on Friday. The British squad is still searching for its first win of the tournament, having lost to Team World on Thursday in the opening game.
The Americans beat Canada 5-1 in last year's gold-medal game. Canada's 19-player roster features 13 returning players from that silver-medal squad, with Tara Chisholm back as head coach.
The tournament features an all-female officiating crew for the second straight year.
Canada roster
Forwards
- Myriam Adam
- Aubree Clements
- Sheena Darnley
- Hadley Frittenburg
- Hailey King
- Alanna Mah
- Vanessa Racine
- Raphaëlle Tousignant
- Alyssa White
Defenders
- Peggy Assinck
- Claire Buchanan
- Hailey Halik
- Meghan Harris
- Émilie Charron-Pilotte
- Alicia Souveny
- Mackenzie Spong
Goalies
- Tracey Arnold
- Marie-Ève Croteau
- Jessie Gregory
