2009-10 National Women's Team

Canada 7 - Sweden 0
 


CANADIAN WOMEN DOWN SWEDES 7-0 TO OPEN HOCKEY CANADA CUP

VANCOUVER – Canada made sure there wasn't a second upset to start the Hockey Canada Cup with a decisive 7-0 win over Sweden on Monday.

Finland shocked world champion U.S. 3-2 earlier in the day for just that country's second win over the Americans in women's hockey history.

The four-country tournament is a test event for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver next February.

While the four teams will play Saturday's semifinal round before Sunday's medal games, the Finns gained some valuable confidence in their Olympic preparation with Monday's result.

Their lone previous victory over the U.S. was a 1-0 overtime win at the 2008 world championship in Harbin, China.

Host Canada didn't want to give Sweden any similar momentum. The Swedes beat Canada for the first time at last November's Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., with a 2-1 overtime decision.

There's long been a gap between the North Americans and the Scandanavians, followed by a chasm with the rest of the world in women's hockey. One major exception was Sweden's upset of the U.S. at the 2006 Olympics en route to a silver medal.

Media Gallery | Schedule/Results | Game notes

The Canadians boarded their bus to GM Place on Monday knowing the established world order of their sport had been shaken.
“We had people texting us to tell us the scores and when we'd just come out of the team meeting and heard it,” Canadian head coach Melody Davidson said. “You could see in their faces they were shifting gears a little bit here to remember to not take it for granted.”

Finland has never beaten the Canadian women and will try for back-to-back upsets on Tuesday.

“They're going to go at us hard tomorrow,” Davidson said. “They're going to have a chance to go 2-0 just like we do.”

The U.S., winner of the last two world titles, meets Sweden on Tuesday followed by Canada on Thursday.

Hockey Canada's is webcasting games on their website. Sunday's championship game will be carried by TSN on tape delay starting a midnight ET.

The Canadian team has spent little time on special teams since 26 players congregated in Calgary almost a month ago to being preparing for the Olympics. But their power-play appeared in mid-season form Monday with three goals on four chances a man up.
Rebecca Johnston of Sudbury, Ont., and captain Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., each scored a pair of goals. 

Wickenheiser needs one more point for a career 300.

Montreal defender Catherine Ward, Gina Kingsbury of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., and Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont., also scored in front of an announced crowd of 2,335 at GM Place, which will be renamed Canada Hockey Place during the Games.

Haley Irwin of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Brianne Jenner of Oakville, Ont., each picked up a pair of assists. Edmonton goaltender Shannon Szabados needed just six saves for her shutout.

Despite 41 saves and several acrobatic stops, Sweden's Kim Martin could not hold off the Canadians swarming her net.

Sweden has a young team with 18 players under the age of 22 and their defence around their goal crease was porous.

After falling behind 3-0 after the opening period, they had a chance to get back into the game with almost two minutes of a two-man advantage to start the second, but they managed just one shot on net during it.

Ward's goal with 13 seconds left in the second, and Wickenheiser and Kingsbury scoring within 15 seconds of each other to open the third, effectively put the game away for Canada. Sweden didn't get a shot on goal in the third period.

“They weren't very tight in their zone or organized in anything, but I know that's not the best we've seen from them or the best we will see,” Wickenheiser said.

Game Information/Reseignements sur le match
Event/Événement Hockey Canada Cup Location/Emplacement Vancouver, BC, CAN
Date Mon. Aug. 31, 2009 Arena/Aréna GM Place
Time/Heure 19:30 PT Attendance/Assistance -,---
Round/Ronde Preliminary Game # 02

Box Score/Compte
1
2
3
Final
CAN
3
1
3
7
SWE
0
0
0
0

 

Goals/Penalties
First Period/Première période
Goals/Buts:
08:57 CAN Rebecca Johnston (Haley Irwin, Carla MacLeod)
09:57 CAN Rebecca Johnston (Haley Irwin, Jocelyne Larocque) PP/AN
18:38 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Meghan Agosta, Marie-Philip Poulin) PP/AN

Penalties/Punitions:
04:25 SWE Emma Nordin (Hooking/Accrocher)
09:29 SWE Emma Nordin (Hooking/Accrocher)
17:04 SWE Frida Svedin Thunström (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
Second Period/Deuxième période
Goals/Buts:
19:16 CAN Catherine Ward (Cherie Piper, Meaghan Mikkelson) PP/AN

Penalties/Buts:
00:32 CAN Jocelyne Larocque (Holding/Retenir)
00:42 CAN Rebecca Johnston (Hooking/Accrocher)
18:01 SWE Frida Nevalainen (Hooking/Accrocher)
Third Period/Troisième période
Goals/Buts:
01:16 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser
01:30 CAN Gina Kingsbury (Jayna Hefford, Brianne Jenner)
13:20 CAN Jayna Hefford (Gina Kingsbury, Brianne Jenner)

Penalties/Punitions:
13:56 CAN Jayne Hefford (Slashing/ Coup de bâton)

 

Goaltenders CAN Shannon Szabados
Gardiens de but SWE Kim Martin

Shots on Goal Team 1 p 2 p 3 p Ttl
Shots on Goal CAN 20 11 7 38
Tirs au but SWE 2 4 0 6

Referee/Arbitre ---
Linesmen/Juges des lignes ---
For more information:
André Brin Director, Communications | Directeur, relations médias