Canada kicks off 2013 4 Nations Cup with 3-1 win over Finland; tournament “important step” on Road to Sochi

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Canada’s National Women’s Team didn't play its best game in its 2013 4 Nations Cup opener, but it was enough to beat Finland 3-1 – and start off this year’s tournament with a win.

Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL) and Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) scored for Canada, which is playing this tournament without star forward Hayley Wickenheiser (Shaunovan, Sask./University of Calgary, CIS) and five other veterans. Canada scored two goals in 1:34 during the first period and wound up outshooting Finland 39-23 in the end.

“We were a little soft,” said forward Meghan Agosta-Marciano (Ruthven, Ont,/Montreal, CWHL), who assisted on Spooner's goal. “We need to be able to chip the puck a little more, come out of the zone together and come with speed, and that's something that we kind of lacked a bit tonight. That's not the best hockey that we're going to be playing this tournament.”

Canada’s National Women’s Team head coach Dan Church praised his team's adjustments in the third period, but said the consistency needs to be better on the ice.

“Finland's a tough team to play against because they clog the neutral zone and they're very good at their neutral-zone forecheck,” he said. “We didn't make an adjustment in the second period, but I thought the third period we did a good job.”

Finland's only goal came in the third period, when Tea Villila scored on the fifth of six power plays to make it 3-1. Canada took seven minor penalties but Johnston's goal, from Haley Irwin and Brianne Jenner, came on the power play.

Goaltender Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, Que./Montreal, CWHL) stopped 22 of the 23 shots she faced.

“Charline had a solid game in net for us, turned aside a bunch of shots and was consistent back there,” Church said.

In addition to Wickenheiser, Canada is without experienced forwards Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que./Montreal, CWHL) and Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Boston University, HE), along with defencemen Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, Alta./Calgary, CWHL, Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que./Cornell University, ECAC) and Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Cornell

University, ECAC), who are getting a rest. Church wants to win the 4 Nations Cup, but this tournament is also about evaluating players for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

“It's a prestigious tournament, and it's an important step on the road to Sochi. But there are things that we need to do to build our team,” he said. “We brought 21 players here that are going to play all four games, and that'll be an important process for us selecting our team down the road, leaving some players behind in Calgary.”

Those in Lake Placid, N.Y., have their sights on winning now and worrying about Sochi later.

“When I think Canada, I think winning every single opportunity we have in any game or any tournament,” Agosta-Marciano said. “It's a great tournament to kind of see where everybody's at, and at the end of the day we want to come out of this on top.”

Canada's next game is Wednesday, Nov. 6 against the United States, which it has already defeated twice recently in the six-game series between the two women’s hockey rivals this season. This is a renewal of that rivalry, even with some of Canada's best players not participating.

"I think it'll be good to see some of our younger players, having some of our more experienced veterans at home in Calgary,” Church said. “It's an opportunity for them to step up.”

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