SPOKANE – Jenny Potter says it’s a mistake to read too much into the 5-2 spanking Canada gave the U.S. women’s hockey team Friday night at the Spokane Arena.

At first glance it would seem the Americans’ loss coupled with their Oct. 5 loss to Canada in Victoria might indicate that the balance of power is shifting north once again.

But Potter, a veteran of all three U.S. Olympic teams, says fans should pay closer attention to the calendar than the scoreboard.

“There is no medal after this game,” Potter, 30, said. “Just pride.”

Last month Team USA asserted itself as the dominant team in the rivalry by beating Canada twice in four days to win the Hockey Canada Cup at Vancouver’s GM Place, the hockey venue for the Feb. 12-28 Winter Games.

Friday in Spokane, the Americans say they lacked the intensity they needed to beat the two-time defending Olympic champs.

“We got outworked,” said U.S. forward Natalie Darwitz.

That was evident from the start, when Canada fired three shots in the opening 90 seconds. Goalie Jessie Vetter stopped them all but it was clear she was going to be in for a long night.

Canada scored first when Meghan Agosta broke free for an uncontested shot with 2:13 to play in the first period.
The U.S. tied the score during a power play with 54.3 seconds to play in the first period when forward Gigi Marvin of Minnesota flicked in a shot from her knees with her back to the goal.

The crowd erupted, but the celebration was short lived. Seconds later U.S. defensemen Caitlin Cahow of Connecticut lost her stick giving the Canadian’s “NCAA line” all the opening it needed to reclaim its lead.

The Canadians call it the “NCAA line” because all of the players attended U.S. colleges.

Harvard’s Sarah Vaillancourt, thanks to assists from Minnesota Duluth’s Haley Irwin and Ohio State’s Tessa Bonhomme, scored with 19.4 seconds left in the period to give Canada a 2-1 lead.

“We lost the momentum there,” said U.S. coach Mark Johnson, a member of the 1980 U.S. gold medal hockey team.

Canada took advantage of power plays in the second period to add two more quick goals. Caroline Ouellette scored both.
The Canadians pushed the lead to 5-1 at the 16:24 mark with a goal by defender Catherine Ward.

Potter backhanded a shot past Canadian goalie Shannon Szabados at the 18:35 mark of the second period. Neither team scored in the third period.

Canada and the U.S. will play four more times before the Olympics. The next match is Dec. 12 in Denver.

“We play these games to learn and get better for the Olympics,” Potter said. “… It’s better to lose now then when it matters.”

NOTES: U.S. forward Karen Thatcher, a 25-year-old graduate of Providence College, lives in Blaine. She moved to Blaine four years ago. … Attendance was not announced after the game, but less than half the seats in the 10,000-seat arena were filled. Team USA drew 9,137 fans when it played China in Spokane before the 2002 Olympics. … Team USA picked its current 23-player roster on Aug. 24. The team will be trimmed to its 21-player Olympic roster in mid-December.