Canada’s Women’s Olympic hockey team has advanced to the gold medal final in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, after defeating Finland 7-3 Tuesday at the E Center. USA will face Sweden in the other semi-final later today.

Canada jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after goals by Therese Brisson and Hayley Wickenheiser. Brisson blasted a slapshot from the point past Finnish goaltender Tuula Puputti at the 5:58 mark which was followed by a Wickenheiser breakaway goal at the 8:10 mark. Finland replied with a goal late in the period, sending Canada to the dressing leading 2-1.

In the second, Finland came out flying, scoring the only two goals of the period and taking a 3-2 lead into the third period.

In the third Canada regrouped and put five pucks past Puputti. Hayley Wickenheiser tied the game and then Jayna Hefford put Canada ahead for good six seconds later, with a breakaway goal. Vicky Sunohara, Cassie Campbell and Therese Brisson’s second goal of the game padded Canada’s lead.

Kim St-Pierre stopped 15 of 18 shots to record the win for Canada. The win was St-Pierre’s third Olympic win and her 32nd all-time National Women’s Team victory.
The last time Canada met the United States in Olympic play, USA defeated Canada 3-1 to capture the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. The gold medal game will be played on Thursday at 5:00pm (MT) at the E Center in Salt Lake City.

Game Information
Game Number	15	Round	Semi-final
Arena	E Center	City, Country	Salt Lake City, USA
Date	Tuesday, February 19, 2002	Time (MT)	11:00 AM

 

Box Score	1	2	3	Final
CAN	2	0	5	7
FIN	1	2	0	3

 

Goals & Penalties
First Period
Goals: 05:58 CAN Therese Brisson PP  8:10 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Isabelle Chartrand) SH 19:35 FIN Tiia Reima (Sari Fisk, Katja Riipi) Penalties: 04:02 FIN Paivi Salo (Body Checking) 07:38 CAN Vicky Sunohara (Hooking) 10:39 CAN Becky Kellar (Roughing) 16:21 CAN Colleen Sostorics (Roughing) 16:21 FIN Emma Laaksonen (Roughing) 20:00 CAN Jayna Hefford (Interference)
Second Period
Goals: 22:56 FIN Tiia Reima (Sari Fisk, Kirsi Hanninen) 23:51 FIN Katja Riipi (Tiia Reima, Sari Fisk) Penalties: 24:30 CAN Vicky Sunohara (Cross Checking) 28:33 FIN Petra Vaarakallio (Body Checking) 30:15 FIN Saija Sirvio (Interefence) 33:21 FIN Saija Sirvio (Tripping) 38:15 FIN Paivi Salo (Roughing)
Third Period
Goals: 43:19 CAN Hayley Wickenheiser (Danielle Goyette, Kim St-Pierre) 43:25 CAN Jayna Hefford (Vicky Sunohara) 57:26 CAN Vicky Sunohara (Danielle Goyette) 58:32 CAN Cassie Campbell    59:03 CAN Therese Brisson (Jennifer Botterill) PP Penalties: 58:46 FIN Marja-Helena Palvila (Tripping)

 

Goaltenders
CAN	Kim St-Pierre
FIN	Tuula Puputti

 

Shots on Goal	1	2	3	Total
CAN	18	22	14	54
FIN	7	6	5	18