2009 IIHF Women's World Championship

CANADA EDGES U.S. 2-1 IN PREVIEW OF FINAL AT WORLD WOMEN'S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

by Donna Spencer

HÄMEENLINNA, Finland (CP) – Canada won its first game against the U.S. at the women's world hockey championship, but it's more important for them to win the second one. Winnipeg's Jennifer Botterill and Montreal's Caroline Ouellette scored in Canada's 2-1 victory Friday that served as a preview of Sunday's championship game (TSN, noon ET).

Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont., had two assists to surpass a career 200, which made her only the third player to do so behind Hayley Wickenheiser and Danielle Goyette. Monique Lamoureux of the U.S. cut the deficit in half with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but the Americans couldn't produce the equalizer despite pulling goaltender Molly Schaus for an extra attacker.

IIHF Stats | | Game Notes (.pdf)

Canada (4-0) and the U.S. (3-1) were going to meet for the 12th time in as many world championships regardless of the result of Friday's playoff game. But Canada wanted to beat the defending world champions after losing to their archrival three of four times in 2008.

Canadian goaltender Charline Labonté hadn't played since facing just five shots in a tournament-opening 13-1 win over China. She showed no rust, however. Her spectacular save halfway through the first period injected confidence into her teammates and Labonté also made two tough saves during a U.S. 5-on-3 in the third period. She stopped 23 shots for the win, while Schaus made 35 saves on 37 shots.

Canada will be the home team Sunday. Sweden and Finland will meet for the bronze medal. The Swedes thrashed Russia 8-0 on Friday. Japan doubled China 2-1 in the relegation round. The U.S. outshot the Canadians in their three victories last year, so the Canadians were bent on getting the puck to the net and bodies in front of it to collect rebounds. The Americans were also short-handed more than the Canadians with 10 minor penalties to Canada's seven.

Lamoureux took a deflected a pass from behind the net from twin sister Jocelyne and foiled Labonté's shutout bid at 18:02. The puck rebounded out from the back of the net, so German referee Nicole Hertrich ruled it valid only after a video review. Canada's penalty killers put together a crucial kill in the third period as the U.S. played almost a minute with a two-man advantage. Labonté made big pad saves on both Gigi Marvin and U.S. captain Natalie Darwitz during the American power play.

Hefford's pass from the corner found Ouellette on the U.S. doorstep and she tucked the puck under Schaus for her third of the tournament at 9:05 of the second period. After a scoreless first period, Botterill opened the scoring 26 seconds in with a power-play goal. She put a shot off the post and in on a feed from Hefford behind the goal-line. Labonté robbed Meghan Duggan with a sprawling glove save halfway through the first period. Duggan dropped to one knee to tip in a goal-mouth pass and the Americans were already throwing their arms in the air in celebration when Labonté snared it in the webbing of her glove. Labonté also deflected Jenny Potter's short-handed breakaway in the second period.

Notes: Canada improved to 48-31-1 versus the U.S. all time ... Edmonton goaltender Shannon Szabados dressed for the first time this tournament as Labonté's backup.

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
06:18 USA Angela Ruggeiro (Interference/Obstruction)
12:11 CAN Gillian Apps (Interference/Obstruction)
15:34 USA Helen Resor (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
19:34 USA Meghan Duggan (Body-checking/Mise en échec corporelle)

Goals/Buts :
00:26 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Jayna Hefford) PP/AN
09:05 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Jayna Hefford)

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:12 USA Kelli Stack (Holding/Retenir)
05:23 CAN Caroline Ouellette (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
10:16 USA Angela Ruggeiro (Boarding/Donner de la bande)
14:14 CAN Meghan Agosta (Holding/Retenir)
15:37 CAN Gillian Ferrari (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
18:18 USA Jocelyne Lamoureux (Holding/Retenir)

Goals/Buts :
18:02 USA Monique Lamoureux (Jocelyne Lamoureux)

Penalties/Pénalités :
01:06 CAN Jennifer Botterill (Interference/Obstruction)
02:21 USA Monique Lamoureux (Interference/Obstruction)
05:00 USA Monique Lamoureux (High-sticking/Bâton élevé)
06:05 USA Molly Engstrom (Body-checking/Mise en échec corporelle)
10:13 CAN Colleen Sostorics (Holding/Retenir)
11:23 CAN Meaghan Mikkelson (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
15:30 USA Kacey Bellamy (Tripping/Faire trébucher)

PRE GAME FEATURE :
WORLD WOMEN’S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS NOW FOR U.S., CANADA

by Donna Spencer

HÄMEENLINNA, Finland – Canada and the U.S. have outscored their opposition at the women's world hockey championship by a combined 51-1 margin.

Players on both sides have been anticipating Friday's playoff game (TSN, noon ET) and Sunday's championship game between them for most of the tournament.

After dominating the nine-team tournament, Canada and the U.S. are now feeling the heat for the first time.

“We've established we're the two dominant teams in the world and even though tomorrow doesn't mean anything, the tournament really starts for us,” U.S. defenceman Angela Ruggiero said Thursday. “The adrenaline will really start to pump when we wake up tomorrow.”

The two countries will meet in the world championship final Sunday (TSN, noon ET) a 12th time with Canada holding a 9-2 record. But the U.S. are the defending champions and beat Canada three of four games in 2008.

Canada lost consecutive games to the Americans at the world championship for the first time last year. The U.S. also won the Four Nations Cup final in a shootout.

The Americans (3-0) blanked Finland 7-0 on Thursday, a day after Canada (3-0) downed the Finns 8-0. The two teams will meet again Sunday for gold regardless of Friday's outcome.

But the result could set the table for that game.

Canada lost a playoff game 4-2 to the U.S. last year in Harbin, China, to end a 29-game winning streak. Two days later, the Canadians fell again to the U.S. in the final by a score of 4-3.

“In last year's worlds, when we won that first game in order to get into the gold-medal game, that meant the difference because we had so much confidence going into the final knowing that we beat them two days before,” Ruggiero said.

The Finns (2-2) will play for bronze against the winner of Friday's game between Sweden and Russia. Russia defeated Kazakhstan 9-2 on Thursday.

Switzerland edged Japan 3-2 to win the relegation round. China and Japan will be relegated to the world B championship in 2011.
For the first time in this tournament, Canada won't have the lion's share of puck possession because the Americans can match their speed and passing skills.

The Canadians whipped the puck around the offensive zone against the Finns with flair and confidence, but the U.S. won't give them as much time and space.

“They're going to play with more pressure and buzzing around the puck and certainly not giving you as much room, so we've basically got to create that space with good puck movement, outworking them and winning the battles,” Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser said
Defenceman Gillian Ferrari was excited about the challenge of protecting her own end against sustained, intense pressure as she hasn't had much of that yet this tournament.

“This is the kind of game the defensive defenceman loves to play because you kind of get to be rough in the corners and you really have to watch everything out there because they can take advantage of any opportunities that you give them,” she said. “No matter how many times you play them, it's still the highlight of the year.”

After getting consecutive shutouts from goaltender Kim St. Pierre, Davidson is starting Charline Labonte on Friday. Labonte saw only five shots in Canada's 13-1 win over China to open the tournament, but the Canadian coach wasn't concerned about rust.

Davidson pointed out Labonte is coming off winning a Canadian university championship with McGill. Labonte also stopped 21-of-22 shots in one of Canada's pre-tournament games against a Finnish midget men's team.

“She's seen a lot of pucks in the last couple of weeks and in practice,” Davidson said.

Defenceman Tessa Bonhomme did not skate Thursday, but Davidson said the Sudbury, Ont., native will play Friday. Forward Meaghan Mikkelson moved back to defence, where she played last year, for practice.

In Canada's three losses to the U.S. last year, they were outshot each time. In their lone victory _ a preliminary-round game at the Four Nations _ the shots were dead even.

“The puck has got to go to the net,” Davidson said. “We definitely can't all of a sudden turn into some pretty team where we're going to overpass or look for the perfect opportunity.”

Canada came into the world championship having lost to Sweden for the first time at the Four Nations, so they were primed to face the Swedes here and soundly beat them 8-0.

Davidson hopes her team can replicate it's pre-game demeanour from that contest Friday against the U.S.

“Not that they didn't come ready to play against Finland, but there was a little different air and they had something to get back from Four Nations,” she explained. “I would expect we'll see the same thing against the U.S. tomorrow.”

The U.S. is the only team not to give up a goal this tournament. Half the team has been training together and playing games out of Blaine, Minn., this winter.

The Americans used to struggle to find games and leagues to play in after their college careers concluded. The residency program has made a world of difference, says Ruggiero.

“From Day 1, you have your hockey legs,” she explained. “You're not using the tournament to be ready to be final.”

NOTES – Hockey Canada announced Thursday that Canada and the U.S. will meet in six exhibition games next season ahead of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver: Oct. 5 in Victoria; Oct. 16 in Spokane, Wash., Dec. 12 in Denver, Dec. 15 in Calgary; Dec. 30 in St. Paul, Minn. and Jan. 1 in Ottawa … The Canadian women are wearing the initials AM on their helmets in memory of Hockey Canada chairman Dr. Allan Morris who died earlier this week at the age of 74.