Bauru, Brazil - September 7 - The USA Cadet Women earned the gold medal today at the U15 Pan American Championships with a 14-8 win over Canada. Claire Billish was named match MVP with four goals, four earned exclusions, two assists, and two steals as goalkeeper Alyvia Dunn notched 12 saves. Team USA ends its run in Brazil atop the podium with an unblemished 6-0 record.
Team USA got off to a good start as Kiley Arroyo scored on the Americans' opening possession. Good defense followed both ways until Canada was able to level the score midway through the first quarter. Next, Madeleine Colabianchi regained an early edge for the United States before Ryann Renfroe and Cece Mesenbrink converted a pair of penalty shots to push the lead to 4-1 after one.
Two minutes into the second period, Canada was able to halve the deficit on a power play opportunity. Team USA responded on the other end by drawing a penalty and Skylar Shim stepped up to convert the attempt. Canada would find the back of the cage before the Americans earned another penalty that Claire Billish put away. The Canadian side would not go away quietly as they scored back-to-back goals to tighten the gap. Danielle Ku would score late to finish off a balanced scoring effort in the first half, leaving the score at 7-5 in favor of the United States at the break.
The second half began with Mesenbrink skipping home her second goal of the contest. Canada would have the next word but Camile Chomchavalt responded with an immediate answer for the Americans. The Canadians scored again midway through the quarter before the offensive output stalled for a few minutes. Colabianchi reignited the scoring when she pushed Team USA up 10-7 near the end of the quarter.
The United States earned an early penalty in the final frame and Billish put it away to pad the lead. Midway through the fourth, Canada registered its first goal of the period but the Americans came back to earn back-to-back penalties with Billish finding the back of the net on both attempts. From there, Chomchavalt scored an insurance goal with under a minute to go and Team USA earned the gold medal with a 14-8 victory.
Team USA went 0/7 on power plays and 7/8 on penalties while Canada went 3/5 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties.
Scoring - Stats
USA 14 (4, 3, 3, 4) C. Billish 4, M. Colabianchi 2, C. Chomchavalt 2, C. Mesenbrink 2, K. Arroyo 1, D. Ku 1, R. Renfroe 1, S. Shim 1
CAN 8 (1, 4, 2, 1) G. Corkum 2, D. Khramtsova 2, J. Xia 2, J. Linthicum 1, D. Martens 1
Saves - USA - A. Dunn 12 - CAN - A. Rotheisler 6
6x5 - USA - 0/7 - CAN - 3/5
Penalties - USA - 7/8 - CAN - 1/2
