Given the opportunity, Canada’s Jamie Lee Rattray made the most of it with two goals in Thursday’s 5-1 win over the United States in the women’s world hockey championship.
Rattray was Canada’s spare forward for a couple of games in the preliminary round.
With captain Marie-Philip Poulin out of the lineup recovering from a hard shot to the chest, Rattray’s role expanded.
The 28-year-old from Kanata, Ont., filled the void with back-to-back goals in the second period.
“Any time I get out there I want to make an impact, whether that’s one shift or 10 shifts,” Rattray said.
“You can’t really fill Pou’s shoes. She’s obviously a leader on this team and she has been for a long time, but I think we did a really good job. Everyone stepped up and did the roles that they needed to.”
Melodie Daoust had a goal and an assist for the host country, which scored its five goals in the first half of the game.
WATCH | Canada rolls past U.S. to remain perfect at women’s hockey worlds:
Canada stays perfect at women’s hockey worlds with dominating win over U.S.
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Jamie Lee Rattray scores twice as Canada defeats the United States 5-1 at the women’s world hockey championship and finishes first in Pool A with a 4-0 record. 1:02
Canada topped Pool A at 4-0 ahead of defending champion U.S. at 3-1.
Both countries awaited the outcome of a later Pool B game between Germany and Japan to know their Saturday quarter-final opponents.
Daoust leads Canada in tournament points with three goals and four assists in four games.
Sarah Nurse scored shorthanded and Renata Fast also scored in Canada’s largest margin of victory against the Americans since a 5-1 win Oct. 25, 2017 in Boston.
“I think it’s huge for us,” Rattray said. “Every time we play anybody, but especially them we always want to beat them with the rivalry over the years.
“It was pretty fun to be a part of that win, that’s for sure.”
Goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 22-of-23 shots for the win. Brianne Jenner, who wore the ‘C’ in Poulin’s absence, had two assists.
Lee Stecklein replied for the Americans in their first meeting with Canada since the conclusion of their five-game Rivalry Series on Feb. 8, 2020 in Anaheim, Calif.
The U.S. won 4-3 in overtime to take the series 4-1.
Desbiens, left, celebrates with Ashton Bell following the final whistle. (The Canadian Press)
American goaltender Alex Cavallini was pulled for Nicole Hensley after giving up four goals on 20 shots before the midway point of Thursday’s game. Hensley turned away six shots in relief.
“We got away from our game. In fact, we never played our game,” U.S. forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “You take this game and you don’t repeat any of it except Lee’s goal for Team USA.
“You have to give credit where credit is due. Canada played a phenomenal game today and we didn’t.”
The U.S. didn’t give up a goal in its first three games of the world championship in Calgary.
Finland (2-2) finished third in Pool A following a 6-0 win over Switzerland. The Finns face the Czech Republic, the Pool B winner at 4-0, in a quarter-final Saturday
ROC (1-3) and Switzerland (0-4) were fourth and fifth in Pool A respectively and will meet in another quarter-final.
The semifinals are Monday followed by Tuesday’s medal games.
Poulin’s status
Poulin was scratched after taking a shot to the upper chest in Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Switzerland. A decision has yet to be made on her return to the lineup.
“Our medical team and our management team will continue to evaluate the situation,” Canadian head coach Troy Ryan said.
The Canadians stymied the U.S. with a ferocious forecheck and outshot the Americans 15-4 in the opening period to lead 2-0.
The U.S. pushed back in the third with an 11-4 edge in shots, but generated one goal. Stecklein threaded a shot from the blue-line through traffic at 2:44.
Nurse scored shorthanded on a 2-on-1 with Jenner at 10:36 of the second. Play continued after Nurse’s shot went off the post and in until it was reviewed and ruled a goal.
Rattray scored twice in the period on a wraparound at 7:16 and on a rebound at 4:18.
“Rattray has filled that 13th forward a couple times and we’re comfortable taking her right from the 13th forward spot right into the top line and playing some power-play minutes,” Ryan said.
“Part of the reason why it was easy for us to select her was her versatility.”
Cavallini couldn’t corral the loose puck in front of her and Fast chipped it over the prone goaltender at 13:50 of the first period. The goal was initially waived off, but ruled valid upon review.
Canada produced a first-period goal for the first time in the tournament when the puck sprang off the backboards out to Daoust, who scored from her knees at 7:13.
Natalie Spooner earned her 100th career point with the national team with an assist.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
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