Crook counts for Canada at World University Games

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Crook counts for Canada at World University Games

Published: 7 July 2009

BELGRADE, Serbia 鈥� Jenna Crook, a 9I制作厂免费 science junior from Regina, scored once and the Canadian women鈥檚 water polo team finally put together a full effort when it mattered most, overcoming an early deficit to make some history and defeat Australia 10-8 in a quarterfinal at the Summer Universiade in Belgrade.

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Summer Universiade website:

Team Canada website:

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The win vaults Canada into the final four at the first-ever Universiade women鈥檚 water polo tournament, joining Hungary, China, and Russia. Hungary faces Russia while the Canadians take on the Chinese in semi-final action at 6:20 p.m. Belgrade time Thursday.

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鈥淭his was so far our best game, and we didn鈥檛 really make any mistakes,鈥� said Canadian head coach Guyla Toth. 鈥淭hey stepped up today, played with discipline, and followed the game plan. We went up and down the pool helping each other, and this is what I expected all tournament long. It came at the right time.鈥�

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鈥淲e had a rough time in the beginning of the tournament, but today everybody just got pumped up and it finally came together,鈥� said Saara Majuri of Coquitlam, B.C., who scored a hat trick for Canada.

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Australia jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Rowena Webster, but Canada was able to claw back in the first quarter, eventually tying the game at 4-4 with just four seconds remaining in the frame on Majuri鈥檚 second of the day. Just 90 seconds into the second, team captain Stephanie Valin of Pointe-Claire, Que., put the Canadians ahead 5-4 and the red and white never trailed again.

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Majuri鈥檚 hat trick goal midway through the second quarter put Canada ahead for good at 6-5, and they took that one-goal advantage into the halftime break. The teams exchanged goals in the third quarter with Australia starting to press, but the Canadians held tight defensively and responded at the other end to every Aussie tally.

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The lead stretched to as many as three on North Vancouver native Kerry Kaukinen鈥檚 marker with just under five minutes to play, but Elise Rossato scored a highlight-reel behind-the-back goal just under a minute later to bring Australia back within two. The ladies from Down Under pressed to tie the affair, but Canada again tightened up defensively. Majuri made a key shot block as the seconds ticked away and Canadian netminder Serena Bredin made a couple of key saves late to preserve the victory.

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Bredin stopped seven of the 15 shots fired her way from the Aussies, while her counterparts in green and gold, Victoria Brown and Lea Barta, allowed eight and two goals, respectively.

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Pitt Meadows, B.C.鈥檚 Monika Eggens, a teammate of Majuri at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, also potted three goals for Canada, while Valin had two and Kaukinen added a single.

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The Canadians (3-1) face China (3-0) for a berth in the gold medal game Thursday after China finished in top spot in Group A, earning a bye into the semi-final round. The Chinese outscored their opponents 39-18 in the preliminary round, and Canada will face a tough test in their quest for the gold medal.

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鈥淐hina will be a tough opponent,鈥� said Toth, 鈥渂ut if we play as disciplined as we did today I know we can beat them.鈥�

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STAT SUMMARY

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Boxscore:

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CAN 4-2-2-2: 10

AUS 4-1-2-1: 8

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Canada

Goal Scorers: Saara Majuri (3), Monika Eggens (3), Stepahnie Valin (2), Kerry Kaukinen, Jenna Crook

Goalkeeper: Serena Bredin (32 mins, 7 GA)

Shots toward goal / shots on goal: 28 / 21

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Australia

Goal Scorers: Rowena Webster (6), Elise Rossato, Sarah Mills

Goalkeeper: Victoria Brown (24 mins, 8 GA), Lea Barta (8 mins, 2 GA)

Shots toward goal / shots on goal: 25 / 15

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TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE (all times Belgrade time)

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July 1听听听 Group A: Canada 9, Serbia 3

July 3听听听 Group A: Canada 10, Japan 5

July 5听听听 Group A: Russia 13, Canada 7

July 7听听听听听听听听听听听 Quaterfinal: Canada 10, Australia 8

July 9听听听 17:00听听听听听听听听听听听 Semi-final 1: Hungary vs. Russia

July 9听听听 18:20听听听听听听听听听听听 Semi-final 2: Canada vs. China

July 11听 16:30听听听听听听听听听听听 Bronze

July 11听 18:30听听听听听听听听听听听 Final

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About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

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-CIS-

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For more information:

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Ben Matchett

Communications Officer

Team Canada

2009 Summer Universiade

ben.matchett [at] ucalgary.ca

Cell: 064-0922995

From Canada dial: 011-381-64-0922995