Knee injury won’t keep Agosta from semifinals
KAMLOOPS — Meghan Agosta maintains she’ll be ready to play Team Canada’s semifinal game at this IIHF women’s hockey world championship on Sunday.
Agosta, the Canadian star forward, went down in a heap late in the second period against Finland on Thursday at the Sandman Centre after she appeared to have a knee-on-knee collision with teammate Tara Watchorn near the Canadian blue-line.
Agosta tried to get up and get to the bench, but made it just a few strides before hitting the ice again. She was eventually helped off and went directly to the Canadian dressing room.
She did come out with her teammates for the start of the third period and played regularly in the frame. She had a shift in the waning seconds of the 6-1 victory.
“I just got hit in a weird way, but I’ll be OK,” Agosta told the assembled media afterwards.
“I wasn’t worried at all. I just had a hard time getting up, to be honest with you. Things like that happen. It’s hockey. It’s all about bouncing back.
“There wasn’t one thought in my mind about not coming back (for the third period),” she said. “Hockey is hockey. Injuries happen. I just wanted to get back out there and continue doing what I do best.”
Coach Laura Schuler referred to it post-game as a “little bit of a stinger,” and said it was a “big relief to me,” that Agosta was able to return so quickly.
Agosta now gets two days off as Canada awaits its Sunday opponent.
RUSSIA WINS: The Russians are heading to the semifinals.
They beat the Swedes 4-1 Friday at the Sandman Centre in the tournament quarter-finals, setting up a matchup with the two-time defending champion Americans in Sunday’s semifinal round.