Team Canada Beats Team World to Win PHF All-Star Tournament

The PHF all-star weekend comes to a close as Team Canada defeated Team World and Team USA in a 4-on-4 tournament in Toronto.

Team Canada prevailed over Team World in the final of the PHF’s All-star tournament. Team World shocked Canada and the USA earlier in the evening, beating both teams to advance to the final.

In the championship game, all-star MVP Loren Gabel put on a show alongside linemate Brittany Howard to come from behind twice to beat Team World 3-2.

“It was an amazing experience winning on home ice in front of so many people,” said Gabel, who is the PHF’s leading scorer playing with the Boston Pride.

“I couldn’t have done it without my linemates,” continued Gabel. “Brittany (Howard) and I have played together in the PWHPA in Toronto the past few seasons, and our chemistry continued tonight.”

Howard, who plays for Toronto, was impressed not only by the quality of play but also by the crowd and event put on by the PHF.

“It was an awesome experience, I’m almost speechless about it,” said Howard. “You can see the investment in women’s hockey is paying off with the crowd and community support out there tonight.”

For much of the final, however, it looked like Team World would complete the upset over hockey's two powerhouse nations, led by Fanni Gasparics of the Metropolitan Riveters and Leah Lum of the Toronto Six.

“Our goal for the night was to show the world we could beat Canada and the USA, which we did in the first two games, so it was a success,” said Fanni Gasparics, a Hungarian national team member who scored a hat trick against Team USA and added another goal in the final against Canada. “There are many many countries that have lots of talented players, and bringing the players here together in the PHF, it shows women’s hockey is growing.”

Gasparics said she believes the event itself was an important showcase of the international growth of the women’s game.

“This event was big, big for women, big for women’s sport,” said Gasparics. “It represented all of us as women, and showed what we’re capable of.”

Below is a game-by-game recap from the PHF’s all-star weekend.

Loren Gabel opened the scoring midway through the game, tipping home a Kati Tabin point shot. It was the start of a memorable night for Gabel, who is a former member of the Canadian national team.

Toronto Six forward Shiann Darkangelo tied the game late in the frame, capitalizing off a turnover before streaking into the zone and ripping a wrister off the right post, beating Boston Pride netminder Corrine Schroeder.

Ending regulation tied 1-1, the teams went to a sudden death shootout to decide a winner.

In the shootout, Brittany Howard of the Toronto Six shot first for Canada and beat USA netminder Abbie Ives glove side before Corrine Schroeder stopped Olivia Zafuto to give Canada the win.

Winning Game 1, Team Canada was back on the ice after the break to face Team World in their opening game of the all-star tournament. 

Gabel scored her second of the evening to break the deadlock by connecting on a give-and-go with Howard, dropping the puck through the legs of a Team World defender, getting the puck back and roofing a shot over Metropolitan Riveters netminder Evelina Makinen.

With time running down, Metropolitan Riveters defender Ebba Berglund sprung Lum of the Toronto Six on a breakaway. Lum made no mistake showing off her soft hands going forehand-backhand to beat Canadian netminder Schroeder.

Then, with a minute remaining, Denisa Krizova grabbed a turnover just inside the Canadian blueline before banking a backhand off a Canadian defender that slipped through Schroeder, giving Team World a 2-1 lead, which they held onto for the win.

Less than a minute and a half into Game 3, Team World continued their streak of unanswered goals as Gasparics picked the pocket of an American defender before outwaiting Ives in tight to open the scoring.

Gasparics wasn’t done, redirecting home a pass from Lum, who made a nifty play in the high slot protecting the puck before sending the pass through the defenders for Gasparics' second of the game.

After Taylor Girard pulled the USA within one, making it 2-1, Gasparics completed the hat trick by roofing a wrister over Ives, with Lum picking up another assist on the night.

Team World showcased their unique celebration several times in the event, a Czechian celebration that became known as the “unicorn” throughout the tournament, with Team World player putting their sticks to their helmets like a unicorn horn.

USA would pull within one, but Team World held on for the 3-2 victory setting up a Team World versus Team Canada final.

Gasparics picked up where she left off in the final, opening the scoring against Team Canada. Lum continued to play the setup woman carrying the puck into the zone before Taylor Baker put a shot toward the net, with Gasparics burying the rebound.

Canada would answer back minutes later with Howard roofing a backhand to tie the game 1-1, but within seconds, Anna Kilponen slid a backhand of her own under Schroeder to make it 2-1.

Canada’s dynamic duo of Howard and Gabel answered right back, with Howard sliding a perfect pass to Gabel backdoor to again knot the game. Then with two minutes to play, Montreal Force forward Jade Downie-Landry broke the deadlock by finding her own rebound to lift Canada to a 3-2 win and the PHF al-star crown.