No second upset for Finns
PLYMOUTH, Mich. World titles scarce lately for the Canadian women’s hockey team, they have another chance to end the drought.
A 4-0 win over Finland on Thursday sent Canada to Friday’s gold-medal game of the women’s world championship.
Canada will face the winner of the other semifinal between defending champion United States and Germany.
The Canadians have now reached the final in all 18 women’s championship dating back to the first in Ottawa in 1990. They’ve won gold 10 times.
But the Americans have beaten Canada in the final of seven of the last eight, including last year’s 1-0 overtime victory in Kamloops, B.C. They beat Germany 11-0 in Thursday’s other semifinal.
Canada hasn’t claimed gold since 2012 in Burlington, Vt. Over a third of the current team hasn’t experienced that.
“It’s hard to put into words, but we really want it,” forward Brianne Jenner said. “It would mean a lot to a lot of us here.”
And with the 2018 Winter Olympics on the horizon, the Canadians want to reassert themselves as the best women’s hockey country in the world.
“We’re on a mission right now,” Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said.
Poulin scored a goal and an assisted on another in the span of two and a half minutes as Canada led 3-0 after two periods Thursday.
Sarah Potomak, Emily Clark and Rebecca Johnston all scored their second goals of the tournament, while Shannon Szabados earned her second shutout with 23 saves.
Noora Raty stopped 31-of35 shots for Finland, which beat Canada for the first time ever 4-3 in the preliminary round Saturday.
The Canadians were quicker to, and harder on, the puck Thursday than they’d been five days earlier.
“Even from before the drop of the puck, our girls were ready to go and ignited,” head coach Laura Schuler said.
“I think today’s game was important in our habit and our details and that’s what we’re going to have to bring tomorrow.”
Both countries went 1-2 in the preliminary round, but Canada earned the bye to the semifinal with a higher goal differential.
Finland, which beat Sweden 4-0 in Tuesday’s quarter-final to gain a rematch, lacked the ferocity and sharpness of its preliminary-round victory when it scored first.