Clark leads Team Canada to hockey sweep of U.S.

Emily Clark is fine not being one of Team Canada’s top offensive threats.

She had no problem putting the puck in the net Sunday, though, as her hat trick lifted the Canadians to a 5-3 win over Team USA at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

“It feels a little surreal because that’s not typically my role. I like to work hard and bump and stuff,” Clark said. “I’m very excited to get rewarded like that but way more excited to come out with the win.”

Team Canada’s victory completed a two-game sweep of Team USA and wrapped up a five-day joint training camp at the Penguins’ practice facility. Originally, the U.S. and Canada were slated to take part in the 2019 Four Nations Tournament this week in Sweden, but it was canceled.

“For us to have a successful week against the U.S., it’s huge for us, moving forward, and our confidence,” Clark said.

Like in Friday’s 4-1 win over Team USA, Team Canada got off to a quick start. Clark got the squad on the scoreboard 5 minutes, 51 seconds into the game. On the forecheck, Clark stripped the puck from a Team USA defender and chipped it past Kaitlin Burt. Team Canada pushed its lead to 2-0 29 seconds later on Melodie Daoust’s tally.

“It’s huge for any game if you can get up early,” Clark said. “It showed our character to be able to hold onto it, too. Even when it looked like they were taking some of the momentum from us, to own those moments and take it back was huge.”

Natalie Spooner made it 3-0 with a power-play goal with 9:43 left in the first. Burt stopped Sarah Nurse’s initial shot, but Spooner, trailing the play, tapped in the rebound.

Kendall Coyne Schofield broke Team USA’s shutout 3:26 into the third period. Her shot from the top of the near circle fluttered into the net to trim the deficit to 3-1.

Clark netted her second goal 6:25 into the third on the power play. A shot deflected to her at the top of the crease, and she swatted it past Burt for a 4-1 advantage.

Again, Team USA trimmed the deficit to two on Dani Cameranesi’s power-play goal at 8:48. The Americans got closer as Kelly Panek wristed in a power-play goal from the far circle with 9:02 to play.

However, Clark completed her hat trick in style with 4:44 to go. She skated free for a short-handed breakaway, avoided a diving Burt in the slot and redirected the puck into the open net.

The exhibitions served as a preview for the five-game Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canada, which begins Dec. 14 at XL Center in Hartford, Conn., and lasts through February. That leads into the next major international tournament: the World Championships, which start March 31 in Nova Scotia.

“I think we played two good periods and four bad periods,” Coyne Schofield said. “Every time we get together, we need to play with that excitement and I don’t think we brought that from the start. Unfortunately, we’re not always together to get better every day. But, when we have the next opportunity to get together, we have to be better.”

Despite the two losses, Coyne Schofield was pleased with the experience she and her Team USA teammates had in Pittsburgh.

“It has been terrific. We can’t say thank you enough to the Pittsburgh Penguins for opening their arms to us after the Four Nations was cancelled,” she said. “It was an excellent opportunity to inspire the next generation of girls here in the Pittsburgh area. I am excited to see other NHL organizations open their doors like Pittsburgh did this week for us and Hockey Canada.”