Canada wins gold at 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship

Maddi Wheeler scores overtime winner to give Canada a fifth world title

OBIHIRO, Japan – For the first time in five years, Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team has won gold at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, defeating the United States 3-2 in overtime on Sunday in Obihiro.

Maddi Wheeler (Erinsville, Ont./Nepean, PWHL) drove hard to the net and jammed home her own rebound just 1:34 into overtime, giving Canada its fifth world title and first since 2014.

“I picked the puck up in the neutral zone, Coopsy [Kendall Cooper] passed it off to me. We were on a 4-on-3 power play so I had some space,” said Wheeler. “I drove wide and picked up my own rebound. We had a good net drive, so it was wide open.”

Canada jumped out to an early lead just under eight minutes in when Danielle Serdachny (Edmonton/Pursuit of Excellence, CSSHL) picked up the rebound of an Alexie Guay (Magog, Que./North American Hockey Academy, JWHL) shot from the point. Julia Gosling (London, Ont./London, PWHL) also recorded an assist on the goal.

The United States tied the game late in the second period before taking a 2-1 lead just over six minutes into the third. Anne Cherkowski (Vernon, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence, CSSHL) evened the score at 2-2 with less than nine minutes remaining after being set up by Gosling and Serdachny.

“We are incredibly proud of our team’s effort and our athletes’ ability to overcome adversity when we found ourselves trailing in the game,” said head coach Howie Draper (Edmonton/University of Alberta, CW). “It’s a great feeling to win a world championship and bring a gold medal back to Canada, and I couldn’t be more proud of our athletes and staff for this amazing accomplishment.”

Goaltender Raygan Kirk (Ste. Anne, Man./Eastman, MFMHL) finished with 25 saves in the win and earned tournament Most Valuable Player honours.

Following the gold medal game, the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship awards recipients were announced. Guay was named Top Defenceman and earned a spot on the all-star team, while Gosling, Serdachny and Kendall Cooper (Burlington, Ont./Stoney Creek, PWHL) were named the top three players for Canada.

Player flight arrival information for Monday, Jan. 14 – all times local:

Vancouver

BR 10 – 6:20 p.m. – Jennifer Gardiner

Toronto

BR 36 – 8:30 p.m. – Daniella Calabrese, Megan Carter, Kendall Cooper, Laura Cote, Julia Gosling, Nicole Gosling, Teagan Grant, Nicole Kelly, Maggie MacEachern, Shailynn Snow, Catherine Trevors, Maddi Wheeler

Kelowna

WS 3330 – 9:31 p.m. – Anne Cherkowski, Stephanie Markowski, Danielle Serdachny, Rachel Weiss

Winnipeg

AC 271 – 11:34 p.m. – Raygan Kirk

Quebec City

AC 7512 - 11:49 p.m. – Mahika Sarrazin

Montreal

AC 430 – 12:24 a.m. (Jan. 15) – Alexie Guay, Ann-Frédérik Naud

Halifax

WS 254 – 12:52 a.m. (Jan. 15) – Madison Beck

Saskatoon

AC 8580 – 10:50 a.m. (Jan. 15) – Grace Shirley

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women.