Team USA’s Alaina Gnetz, right, and Team Canada’s Emilia Biotti battle for the puck behind Canada’s net during a U18 rivalry series game on Aug. 13 in Lake Placid. (News photo — Parker O’Brien)

LAKE PLACID — The U.S. Collegiate and Under-18 women’s select teams closed out their respective series against Canada on Aug. 16 by splitting the final matchup. The U18 team earned a 3-1 victory, and the collegiate squad fell 7-6 in a shootout.

With the victory, the U.S. won the Under-18 Select Series for the first time since 2017. Despite Saturday’s loss, the U.S. collegiate squad recorded its sixth-straight series win with wins on Wednesday and Thursday.

In the collegiate contest Saturday, Maggie Scannell gave the U.S. an early advantage when she scored just 47 seconds into the game. However, Canada answered with two straight goals from Madeline Palumbo and Emmalee Pais to take a 2-1 lead.

Canada added two goals in the second to open a 4-1 lead on the afternoon. Eloise Caron scored the third goal of the game before Claire Murdoch added another.

Later in the second period, Cassie Hall buried a 5-on-3 power play goal from the right faceoff dot to make the score 4-2.

Team USA’s Maggie Averill looks to make a play during a U18 rivalry series game on Aug. 13 in Lake Placid. (News photo — Parker O’Brien)

But around eight minutes into the third period, Laney Potter scored Team USA’s third of the game, before Kelly Gorbatenko evened the contest with a power play goal.

MaryKate O’Brien gave the U.S. a 5-4 lead with 8:37 left in the third frame, the team’s fourth unanswered score, sliding a shot five-hole. With time ticking down, Canada’s Jocelyn Amos recorded a power play goal to knot the game at 5-5.

Jamie Nelson tallied the U.S.’ sixth of the game, but Canada once again answered with 1:41 left on the clock.

After a scoreless overtime frame, Canada won the shootout, 3-2, in six rounds to give them the victory. Team USA’s Jojo Chobak had 25 saves, while Canada’s Hailey MacLeod had 26 stops.

In the U18 contest, Canada opened the game by scoring almost four minutes in when Rosalie Tremblay shot over the glove of U.S. goalie Bianca Birrittieri.

Team USA responded just a few minutes later when Talla Hansen capitalized on a 2-on-1 feed from Lindsay Stepnowski to knot the game at 1-1.

Annabelle Lovell gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead in the second period after corralling her own rebound off a point-blank shot from the low slot, before rifling one past Canada’s goalie Rowan Houweling from the exact same spot.

Alaina Gnetz closed out the scoring for the U.S. at the midway point of the third period, when she slipped a shot past the goalie’s side right off the left post.

Birrittieri made 21 saves in the winning effort in net. Houweling had 17 saves for Canada.

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Opening games

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The U.S. collegiate and U18 team split their respective opening contests on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Team Canada secured a 4-1 victory in the U18 contest, while the U.S. Collegiate squad won 4-1 over their northern rivals.

In the U18 contest at the Olympic Center’s 1932 Jack Shea Arena, Canada opened a 1-0 lead when Adriana Milani netted a shot with 13:24 remaining in the first period. Sofia Ismael and Caileigh Tiller collected assists.

Team USA responded just 32 seconds into the second period when Stepnowski buried a tap-in from Emily Pohl. Hansen also assisted on the play.

With the game evened at 1-1, Canada pulled away in the middle of the third period with back-to-back goals from Rachel Piggott and Aubrey Morrison with two minutes of each other. Canada’s Megan Mossey later added her team’s fourth goal with 5:40 remaining. Tremblay, Alida Korte and Kendall Doiron recorded one assist each during the final period.

Team USA’s goaltender, Morgan Stickney, made 25 saves in net, while Canada’s Lea-Rose Charrois also stopped 25.

In complete contrast of the U18 game, Team USA’s Collegiate squad opened its game by scoring early in the first period when Ava Lindsay rebounded a shot from teammate Rose Dwyer.

Team USA’s Sydney Morrow and Laney Potter push the score to 3-0 in the second period with a back-to-back goals. Morrow ripped a shot from just inside the blue line that bounced past the Canadian netminder to open a 2-0 lead on the power play, before Potter jumped on a rebound from the high slot, picking the top corner for Team USA’s third goal. Bella Fanale, Hall and Elyssa Biederman added assists during that stretch.

Canada scored its first goal of the contest late in the second after Murdoch cleaned up a rebound right outside the crease. Mackenzie Alexander and Sara Manness assisted on the goal.

Late in the final period, Hall scored on an empty net to secure the victory for the U.S.

Team USA’s goalie Annelies Bergmann made 21 saves in the winning effort. Canada’s Hannah Clark stopped 17 shots.

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Middle frame

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During the middle two contests against Canada on Aug. 14, the U.S. team’s won both of their matchups. The U.S. collegiate squad kicked off the day with a 4-3 shootout victory over Canada, before Team USA’s U18 squad secured a 3-2 win.

In the collegiate series, Canada jumped out to a 1-0 advantage just 58 seconds into the game, when Sarah Paul connected on her team’s first shot of the game off a pass from Amos.

The U.S. scored back-to-back goals in the second period with Ava Lindsay cleaning up a loose puck after a scramble in front of the net, before Julia Pellerin scored a few minutes later.

However, Canada responded with 3:23 left in the middle period when Piper Grober scored off passes from Alexander and Caron.

In the third period, Team USA’s Gorbatenko gave the U.S. a 3-2 lead, chipping the puck over the glove of Canada’s netminder.

A late goal by Canada’s Paul sent the contest to overtime. After a scoreless overtime, Team USA’s Biederman netted the game-winner in the 14th round of the shootout.

Team USA’s Bergmann made 24 saves in net, while Canada’s MacLeod stopped 30 shots.

In the U18 game, Canada found the back of the net in the opening period as Megan Mossey scored on the power play with just 52 seconds remaining in that frame.

Early into the second, Team USA’s Sloane Hartmetz knotted the game at 1-1, fooling the goaltender on a fake pass from just inside the faceoff dot.

Canada regained the lead just minutes later when Kendall Doiran lifted the puck over the outstretched pad of U.S. goalie Birrittieri, taking a 2-1 advantage.

While trailing 2-1, Team USA scored back-to-back goals to seal the victory. Hartmetz first buried a rebound that deflected off the Canadian goalie’s pads and into the net. McLaughlin then gave the U.S. a 3-2 lead, its first of the series, with 7:57 remaining in the game.

Birrittieri recorded 28 saves for the U.S., while Canada’s goalie, Avah Sedore, had 20 stops.