PACKER’S HAT TRICK LEADS USA TO EASY WIN IN OPENER

Madison Packer scored three times and added an assist as the USA opened the 2008 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship with an easy 11-0 win over Russia on Monday night.

Packer – named her team’s Player of the Game – scored once in the first period, once in the second and once more in the third as the Americans dominated play from start to finish and held a 67-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Meagan Mangene got the Americans rolling just past the seven-and-a-half-minute mark of the opening period, taking a cross-ice feed from Brianna Decker and snapped it past Russian netminder – and Player of the Game – Anna Vinagradova, who made 32 saves in her 31 minutes of work.

Packer and Erickson rounded out the scoring in the first period for the USA, who outshot Russia 20-0 in the opening 20 minutes, and Packer, Ashley Cottrell, Anne Schleper and Sasha Sherry scored in the second period, the final two coming less than two minutes apart on a pair of American powerplays.

Cottrell, Packer, Amanda Kessel and Kate Bacon rounded out the scoring in the final frame, providing the final margin of victory.

Nine American players – Packer, Cottrell, Kessel, Schleper, Alev Kelter, Brooke Ammerman, Kasey Boucher, Kelley Steadman and Corey Stearns – finished with multiple-point nights, and 15 of the 18 skaters had at least a point in the win.

Alyssa Grogan got the start in the American goal and made two saves, while Rebecca Ruegsegger was forced to make just one, which came in the game’s final 30 seconds.

The USA is back on the ice at Father Davis Bauer Arena when they take on Switzerland on Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. MT, while the Russians will face Sweden at 4:00 p.m. MT at Norma Bush Arena.