Poulin, Bach spark Canada’s scoring burst in 9-0 win over Japan in women’s hockey
HERNING, Denmark — Victoria Bach and several other Canadian teammates took full benefit of the sustained offensive-zone time Japan gave them in Sunday’s 9-0 win on the girls’s world hockey championship.
Bach scored the primary world championship objective of her profession on Canada’s first shot of the sport, arrange the primary for teammate Emma Maltais and had one other help en path to a three-point recreation.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and had an help for the defending champions. Sarah Filler scored a objective and had two assists.
Ella Shelton, Blayre Turnbull, Jamie Lee Rattray and Sarah Potomak rounded out the scoring in Canada’s third straight win to begin the match in Herning, Denmark.
Veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque had two assists to succeed in 50 profession factors for Canada. Defender Erin Ambrose additionally had two assists.
Sixteen gamers on Canada’s roster recorded a minimum of one level within the win.
“It is thrilling, however our primary objective in that recreation was simply to return out and actually keep on with our recreation plan and put together ourselves for the video games forward,” Bach mentioned.
“We did a very good job engaged on some new issues as linemates and as a group total.”
Japan was minus three injured gamers in its first recreation in opposition to Canada’s girls in 22 years.
Eight minor penalties, which Canada transformed into three power-play targets, made the lifting even heavier for the Japanese, who spent the vast majority of the sport pinned in their very own finish making an attempt to defend their internet.
Canada’s goalie Emerance Maschmeyer did not deal with a shot till the ultimate minute of the second interval. She repelled the 5 she did see in her first begin of the match.
“Undoubtedly a difficult recreation being in internet, ready for any alternative, however I knew every time Japan would get an opportunity, it could in all probability be a fantastic scoring likelihood so I needed to keep prepared,” Maschmeyer mentioned.
“I’ve had some expertise taking part in these sorts of video games, so fortunately I type of know what to do to remain in it. It is simply speaking with my teammates and taking part in the puck after I can, getting any type of touches and staying mentally centered. The following shot is a very powerful shot.”
Japan starter Akane Konishi stopped 29 of 33 pictures within the first half of the sport earlier than reliever Riko Kawaguchi made 31 saves within the again half.
Canada topped Pool A with three wins and caps the preliminary spherical Tuesday in opposition to the U.S., which is unbeaten after two video games and meets Switzerland (1-1-0-0) on Monday. Winless Finland and Japan additionally sq. off Monday.
The host Danes earned their first win, shutting out Hungary 1-0 in Sunday’s lone Pool B recreation in Frederikshavn.
The highest 4 groups in every pool advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals. The semifinals are Saturday adopted by Sunday’s medal video games in Herning, Denmark.
Japan completed a best-ever sixth in final 12 months’s world championship in Calgary and posted the identical end in February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.
However virtually half the roster turned over, which made for a younger Japanese group in Denmark with 13 gamers aged 22 or youthful. Japan’s trio of injured gamers Sunday had been additionally veterans of its Olympic group.
The Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation’s elimination of Russia from tournaments due to that nation’s invasion of Ukraine shifted Japan into Pool A’s high 5 seeds alongside Canada, the U.S., Finland and Switzerland.
Coach Yuji Iizuka mentioned by way of an interpreter he swapped goalies to present each the expertise of taking part in the No. 1 girls’s hockey nation on the planet.
“It is a fantastic alternative for our improvement each time we play Canada,” Iizaka mentioned. “All of the gamers had been very excited to play Canada; it has a whole lot of that means and is particular. We perceive it will likely be a troublesome recreation, however it’s an opportunity to play the world champions.”
Canada performed its second recreation in lower than 24 hours following Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Swiss. The Canadians performed penalty-free hockey and dominated the faceoff circle successful 81 per cent of the attracts.
“I do like our habits just a little bit higher tonight,” Canadian coach Troy Ryan. “I preferred our puck motion on the facility play. Our puck motion wasn’t dangerous in earlier video games, however at present was just a bit bit crisper.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Aug. 28, 2022.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
