title: 2011 Clarkson Cup
text: # 2011 Clarkson Cup
  
  The 2011 Clarkson Cup was contested at the Barrie Molson Centre in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. The four competing teams included three from the Canadian Women's Hockey League and one from the Western Women's Hockey League. All teams played each other in a round robin Thursday March 24 through Saturday March 26, with the top two teams meeting in the final Sunday March 27. In 2010 the tournament consisted of just two semi-finals and a final. A change to the format this year has made the tournament longer.
  
  ## Qualification
  
  The top four teams from the CWHL competed in a tournament based on seedings. Seeds were determined by standings at end of regular season play. On March 11 and 12, the number 1 seed played against the number 2 seed while the number 3 seed challenged the number 4 seed. The victors competed on March 13 to determine the CWHL champion. The WWHL champion was the lone WWHL team to compete in the Clarkson Cup.
  
  | Date | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | March 11, 2011 | Toronto @ Boston | Toronto wins 4-2 | 280 |
  | March 11, 2011 | Brampton @ Montreal | Montreal wins 2-1 (shootout) | 100 |
  | March 12, 2011 | Toronto @ Boston | Toronto wins 3-1 | 184 |
  | March 12, 2011 | Brampton @ Montreal | Montreal wins 4-3 | 200 |
  
  Boston Blades is eliminated and cannot participate in the Clarkson Cup Championship. Montreal Stars, Brampton Thunder and Toronto HC participated in the final tournament. The Minnesota Whitecaps of the WWHL complete the four teams.
  
  ## Rosters
  
  ### Brampton Thunder
  
  Goaltenders :
  
  | Number | Country | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 37 | | Kira Hurley | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 35 | | Laura Hosier | Sharon, Ontario |
  
  Defensemen :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 43 | Ashley Pendleton | Orton, Ontario |
  | 34 | Delaney Collins, Assistant Captain | Pilot Mound, Manitoba |
  | 27 | Kerri Palmer | Holland Landing, Ontario |
  | 24 | Amber Bowman | Orton, Ontario |
  | 20 | Allyson Fox | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 17 | Melanie Rothon | Newmarket, Ontario |
  | 9 | Molly Engstrom | Grantsburg,Wisconsin |
  
  Forwards :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 93 | Mandy Cole | Peterborough, Ontario |
  | 77 | Brooke Beazer | Kingston, Ontario |
  | 71 | Jennifer Kirk | Brampton, Ontario |
  | 67 | Lindsay Brown | Hamilton, Ontario |
  | 66 | Andrea Ironside | Collingwood,Ontario |
  | 16 | Jayna Hefford, captain | Kingston, Ontario |
  | 12 | Lori Dupuis | Cornwall, Ontario |
  | 10 | Gillian Apps, Assistant Captain | Unionville, Ontario |
  | 7 | Cherie Piper, Assistant Captain | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 4 | Elysia Desmier | Ottawa, Ontario |
  | 2 | Bree Polci | London, Ontario |
  
  **Coaching Staff**
  
  * General Manager: Maria Quinto and Jody Katz
  * Head Coach: Peter Crosby
  * Assistant Coach: Phil Bateman
  * Assistant Coach: Kristi Alcorn
  
  ### Montreal Stars
  
  Goaltenders :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 35 | Jenny Lavigne | Lac au Saumon, Quebec |
  | 33 | Kim St-Pierre | Châteauguay, Quebec |
  | 27 | Valerie Charbonneau | Sudbury, Ontario |
  
  Defensemen :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 44 | Nathalie Dery, Assistant Captain | Cap Santé, Quebec |
  | 24 | Stephanie Denino | Saint-Laurent, Quebec |
  | 19 | Sharon Kelly | Riverview, New Brunswick |
  | 16 | Gillian Merrifield | London, Ontario |
  | 8 | Tawnya Danis | Pointe-Claire, Quebec |
  | 4 | Annie Guay | Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec |
  
  Forwards :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 96 | Sabrina Harbec | Saint-Hubert, Quebec |
  | 86 | Dominique Thibault | L'Original, Ontario |
  | 47 | Emmanuelle Blais | Montreal, Quebec |
  | 40 | Sarah Vaillancourt | Sherbrooke, Quebec |
  | 26 | Lisa-Marie Breton, Captain | Saint-Zacharie, Quebec |
  | 25 | Vanessa Davidson | Kirkland, Quebec |
  | 21 | Julie Chu | Fairfield, Connecticut |
  | 18 | Donna Ringrose | Campbell's Bay, Quebec |
  | 13 | Caroline Ouellette, Assistant captain | Montreal, Quebec |
  | 12 | Emilie Luck | Pointe-Claire, Quebec |
  | 11 | Kelly Sudia, Assistant Captain | Pointe-Claire, Quebec |
  | 10 | Noemie Marin | Acton Vale, Quebec |
  
  **Coaching staff**
  
  * General Manager: Megh Hewings
  * Head Coach:Patrick Rankine
  * Assistant Coach: Philipe Trahan
  
  ### Minnesota Whitecaps
  
  Goaltenders :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 39 | Megan Van Beusekom | Loretto, Minnesota |
  | 30 | Kim Hanlon | Blaine, Minnesota |
  | 20 | Sanya Sandahl | Duluth, Minnesota |
  
  Defensemen :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 33 | Rachael Drazan | Orono, Minnesota |
  | 21 | Allie Sanchez | St. Paul, Minnesota |
  | 12 | Jenny Schnickel | Coon Rapids, Minnesota |
  | 7 | Briana Jentner | Akron, Ohio |
  | 5 | Winny Brodt, Captain | Roseville, Minnesota |
  | 2 | Chelsey Brodt | Roseville, Minnesota |
  
  Forwards :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 77 | Amy Stech | Duluth, Minnesota |
  | 29 | Christina Lee | Maple Plain, Minnesota |
  | 27 | Maggie Fisher | South St. Paul, Minnesota |
  | 25 | Iya Gavrilova | Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
  | 22 | Megan McCarthy | Eden Prairie, Minnesota |
  | 19 | Erin Keys | St. Paul, Minnesota |
  | 16 | Jenny Potter | Edina, Minnesota |
  | 15 | Allie Thunstrom | Maplewood, Minnesota |
  | 11 | Krissy Wendell-Pohl | Brooklyn Park, Minnesota |
  | 10 | Brooke White-Lancette | Berkeley, California |
  | 9 | Gisele Marvin | Warroad, Minnesota |
  | 8 | Meaghan Pezon | Eden Prairie, Minnesota |
  | 6 | Kelli Blankenship | Miami, Florida |
  | 2 | Sammy Nixon | Blaine, Minnesota |
  
  **Coaching staff**
  
  * Head Coach: Jack Brodt
  * Assistant Coach: Dwayne Schmidgall
  * Assistant Coach: Jim Minkoff
  
  ### Toronto
  
  Goaltenders :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 31 | Allison Cubberley | Bracebridge, Ontario |
  | 30 | Kendra Fisher | Kincardine, Ontario |
  | 1 | Sami Jo Small | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
  
  Defensemen :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 25 | Tessa Bonhomme | Sudbury, Ontario |
  | 19 | Britni Smith | Port Perry, Ontario |
  | 18 | Alexandra Hoffmeyer | Detroit, Michigan |
  | 12 | Martine Garland | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 5 | Jessica Clermont | Port Elgin, Ontario |
  | 4 | Michelle Bonello | Mississauga, Ontario |
  | 2 | Haleigh Callison | Smithers, British Columbia |
  
  Forwards :
  
  | Number | Player | Hometown |
  | - | - | - |
  | 96 | Kelly Zamora | Oshawa, Ontario |
  | 67 | Rebecca Davies | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 44 | Kori Cheverie | Truro, Nova Scotia |
  | 27 | Kristy Zamora | Oshawa, Ontario |
  | 17 | Jennifer Botterill | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
  | 16 | Frances McPhail | Vancouver, British Columbia |
  | 15 | Angela Di Stasi | Toronto, Ontario |
  | 14 | LaToya Clarke | Pickering, Ontario |
  | 11 | Melanie Mills | Pusclinsh, Ontario |
  | 9 | Jennifer Brine | Truro, Nova Scotia |
  | 6 | Meagan Aarts | Wattford, Ontario |
  | | Carly Haggard | Port Alberni, British Columbia |
  
  **Coaching Staff**
  
  * General Manager: Barb Fisher
  * Head coach: Dan Lichterman
  * Assistant coach: Joanne Eustace
  * Assistant coach: Bartley Blair
  
  ## Tournament
  
  In the first games, Toronto and Montreal earned victories over Brampton and Minnesota . In the second day, Sarah Vaillancourt scored 3 goals during the game to lead Montreal to a 7-4 victory over Brampton. In another match, Sami Jo Small celebrated her 35th birthday by stopping 40 shots to lead Toronto to a 6-0 win over Minnesota. The Championships tournament ran over the weekend. Saturday, Montreal scored a crucial victory 2-1 against Toronto. This win guaranteed Montreal a place in the Clarkson Cup final on Sunday against Toronto, who also recorded two victories in the tournament.
  
  | Date | Time | Teams | Final score | Attendance |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | March 24 | 12:00 noon | Toronto vs Brampton | Toronto 3-2 | 100 |
  | March 24 | 6:00 pm | Minnesota vs Montreal | Montreal 5-1 | 240 |
  | March 25 | 12:00 noon | Minnesota vs Toronto | Toronto 6-0 | 300 |
  | March 25 | 7:00 pm | Brampton vs Montreal | Montreal 7-4 | 1,000 |
  | March 26 | 11:00 am | Minnesota vs Brampton | Brampton 7-2 | 500 |
  | March 26 | 3:00 pm | Toronto vs Montreal | Montreal 2-1 | 1,000 |
  | March 27 | 1:00 pm | Championship Final game | Montreal 5-0 | 2,300 |
  
  ## Championship game
  
  March 27th Sunday: The final game concluded with the powerful Montreal team defeating Toronto 5 - 0. Montreal got off to a 2 - 0 lead in the first period, The first goal was scored by Noémie Marin on a backhand from her off wing at 14:47 as she converted a pass from Caroline Ouellette. The second goal was scored at 7:29 minute from a face off in the Toronto end as Dominique Thibault took the draw and Vanessa Davidson skated off the boards, picked up the puck and put a quick shot behind goaltender Sami Jo Small. The lone goal of the second period was scored at 10:36 by Sabrina Harbec on a nice outside drive cutting by Annie Guay. Sabrina Harbec pulled the goalie across the crease and put the puck in the top corner. The shots at the end of the second period were 34 to 17 in favour of the Montreal Stars.
  
  Montreal added two more goals in the third period to capture the 5-0 win Final game. At the 5:33 minute, Julie Chu feathered a pass to Caroline Ouellette, who made a perfect low shot to score. The final goal of the game was scored with 2:42 left as Sarah Vaillancourt picked up a pass from Caroline Ouellette and she hit the mark on a quick shot from about five feet out. Toronto goalie Sami Jo Small played well in defeat as Montreal controlled the game outshooting Toronto 51 to 26. Toronto did threaten offensively early in the game and could have turned the contest around but Montreal goalie, Kim St-Pierre, came up with exceptional saves to earn the shutout and ultimately crown Montreal Stars the Clarkson Cup Champions 2011.
  
  * The Three Stars of the Game: First Star - Dominique Thibault, Montreal. Second Star - Vanessa Davidson, Montreal. Third Start - Jennifer Botterill, Toronto.
  
  | Playoff records | Games won | Games lost |
  | - | - | - |
  | Montreal | 4 | 0 |
  | Toronto | 2 | 2 |
  | Brampton | 1 | 2 |
  | Minnesota | 0 | 3 |
  
  ## Awards and honours
  
  | Award | Winner |
  | - | - |
  | Top goaltender in the tournament | |
  | Player of the Game, Winning team, Clarkson Cup Final | Dominique Thibault |
  | Player of the Game, Losing team, Clarkson Cup Final | Jennifer Botterill |
  | Tournament Most Valuable Player | Sarah Vaillancourt |
  | Top forward in the tournament | |
  | Top defender in the tournament | |
  