U.S. women start dig for Gold with blitz of Finns
SOCHI, Russia — The last time the world’s best goaltender faced the U.S. women’s hockey team, she made 58 saves and lifted her country to a stunning victory i n the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid in November.
Things didn’t go quite so well Saturday for Noora Raty, former University of Minnesota star by way of Espoo, Finland. In spanking-new Shayba Arena, with the shiniest Zambonis you’ve ever seen and a mighty curious organ play-list, the U.S. women — defending world champions and silver medalists — played the first game of the newfangled Olympic tournament, and needed all of 53 seconds to get a puck past Raty. It came from the stick of forward Hilary Knight, who buried a point-blank wrist shot off a giveaway over Raty’s right shoulder, the U.S. putting on a stirring showcase of team speed and dismissing the Finns, the world’s No. 3 team, 3-1, in front of some 4,100 fans.
“When you get an early goal, especially in the first minute, it kind of deflates the other team,” Knight said.
“It was kind of a nightmare start for me and the team,” Raty said.
Raty has a Finnish battle cry from a 17th century war on the back of her helmet —“Hakkaa Paalle.” It means “Go get them.” The IOC, in its never-ending quest to keep political and/or militaristic statements out of the Games — even 300-yearold ones — made her tape it over.
“You can still see it,” Raty said, more than a bit gleefully.
The Olympic format has been reconfigured this year, with the four strongest teams — Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland — in the same group, in the hope of limiting the number of 10-1 games in the early rounds that don’t do anybody any good. This was no blowout, but it
was hardly even either, with Raty having to make 40 saves, the U.S. outshooting Finland, 43-15, as the Americans embark on a journey they hope will finally lead them past their five-ring nemesis, Canada, which has won the last three gold medals.
If that is going to happen, it will be youth and legs that take the U.S. there, and both were decisive against Finland.
“Our forwards are the fastest in the world,” said defenseman Megan Bozek.
Amanda Kessel, sister of Phil and the top player in college hockey at Minnesota, buzzed all over and so did a blond waterbug named Kendall Coyne, the two of them carving up the Finns all game long. Center Kelli Stack made it 2-0 by batting in a wraparound feed from Knight, first with her torso, and then with her stick, with just under eight minutes gone in the second period.
Stack’s score came shortly after Kessel, a dazzling offensive player, completely deked a Finnish defenseman and went in on Raty, her former Minnesota teammate, who made a glove stop.
Nineteen-year-old Alex Carpenter — daughter of former NHL standout Bobby — backhanded a centering pass from the end line for the final U.S. goal, the puck trickling off a Finnish defenseman into the net with four minutes to go in the second. Maybe Carpenter and her teammates were inspired by hearing “Bennie and the Jets” on the house organ, or by “Hava Nagila,” a second-period selection.
Or was it the 20 perky cheerleaders, in their little blue and white getups, who stood in the aisles during most every break in play?
The Finns upped their game in the third, and got on the board with under five minutes to play when forward Susana Tapani squeezed a shot from the left circle past Jessie Vetter, the U.S. goaltender, but by then Raty had a welt on her neck from an errant stick, and eyes that had to be tired of watching Americans fly all around her.
“This is our first game of the tournament,” Knight said. “There’s still a ton of stuff to work on.”
REUTERS