Rivalry renewed: Canada advances to face U.S. in final at women’s hockey worlds
For Canada to defend its ladies’s world hockey title, it must put ending touches on what’s been a piece in progress all through the match.
Archrival United States has been a scoring machine in Denmark, whereas Canada’s tinkered with ahead traces in an effort to search out chemistry.
Canada could have established that in time for Sunday’s gold-medal sport in opposition to the U.S. in Herning, if Saturday’s 8-1 semifinal win over Switzerland is a sign.
“The best way we had been contributing offensively, the best way we put the puck on the web, holding it easy, taking these rebounds and making an attempt to place them in, I believe that was key for us,” stated Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored twice in opposition to the Swiss.
“We are inclined to need to do to the gorgeous play, however I believe if we maintain getting gritty and soiled in entrance of the web, I believe that is going to be vital for us to do tomorrow.”
The U.S. will try the identical, so along with the standard goaltending and particular groups elements, the ultimate might be gained or misplaced within the field between and under the faceoff dots at each ends of the ice.
The Canadians additionally obtained contributions Saturday from gamers who’d had a quiet match. Brianne Jenner, whose 9 targets in February’s Winter Olympics tied a match report, scored her first in Denmark.
WATCH | Canada going for twelfth gold medal after taking it to Swiss:
The Canadians routed Switzerland 8-1 to advance to the gold medal sport in opposition to the US on the IIHF ladies’s world championship in Denmark.
Sarah Nurse, who set help and factors data in Beijing, scored her second objective of the match.
Head coach Troy Ryan continued to work completely different ahead combos Saturday, shifting Sarah Potomak onto a line with Poulin and Jenner and transferring Victoria Bach to affix Jessie Eldridge and Emma Maltais.
Eldridge and Kristin O’Neill scored their first targets of the match. Sarah Fillier’s objective was her team-leading fifth. Emily Clark additionally scored and defender Ella Shelton had a pair of assists.
Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 5 photographs for the win. Canada put 56 on the Swiss web and had extra to indicate for it than three targets on 57 photographs in a quarter-final win over Sweden.
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/pou29?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@pou29</a>’s mother and father are all of us proper now. 🙌🤩<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensWorlds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#WomensWorlds</a> <a href=”https://t.co/mAHOL7CMes”>pic.twitter.com/mAHOL7CMes</a>
—@HockeyCanada
“I assumed we confirmed extra depth at present. Extra traces contributed in some capability,” Ryan stated. “We obtained away from simply counting on our excessive offence. We went low, we went center and went excessive. That is only a lot higher approach for us to play.
“We might obtained form of predictable. I assumed we had somewhat extra selection tonight. If we deliver that selection tomorrow, it’ll trigger some issues.”
Not solely is the U.S. unbeaten in six video games, together with a 5-2 win over Canada within the preliminary spherical, however they’ve outscored their opposition 52-5 in comparison with Canada’s 30-8.
Heise stated she and her teammates labored onerous on offensive net-front play and ideas and deflections throughout their pre-tournament camp in Buffalo.
“In video games, we have had so many nice ideas and so many nice tip targets,” Heise stated. “We work so onerous within the small areas as a result of we would like these alternatives for our teammates.”
The U.S. has reached the ultimate of each ladies’s championship for the reason that inaugural match in Ottawa in 1990 and has gained 9 gold medals.
Canada seeks third consecutive ladies’s hockey crown
The one time Canada, winner of 11 gold, did not meet the U.S. within the ultimate was in 2019 when it was upset within the semifinal by host Finland in Espoo.
Canada edged the U.S. 3-2 in extra time a yr in the past in Calgary to assert gold and halt its rival’s run of titles at 5 straight.
The Canadians then prevailed 3-2 in Beijing for Olympic gold. They’d misplaced it in a shootout to the U.S. 4 years earlier in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
WATCH | Poulin leads Canada to gold medal in Beijing:
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and had three factors, together with the Olympic gold medal profitable objective for a 3rd time, as Canada defeated the US 3-2 within the ultimate sport of Beijing 2022.
Canada could maintain each titles, however the U.S. poses a formidable barrier in claiming a 3rd ladies’s hockey crown within the span of a yr.
Veteran offensive threats Natalie Spooner and Melodie Daoust, in addition to Olympic all-star defender Claire Thompson, did not report back to Canada’s choice camp in August for private causes.
“It would not do anyone any justice to check this staff to final yr’s staff or every other staff from Hockey Canada,” he acknowledged.
“The best factor about this case is that if we will achieve success, it should be fully completely different. It does not imply it is higher or worse. It is simply completely different.
Czechia, the nation generally known as the Czech Republic, misplaced 10-1 to the US of their semifinal, and can face Switzerland for the bronze medal Sunday.
