CALGARY — Canada’s first women’s world hockey championship game in over two years was a hard-fought 5-3 win over Finland, and the battle felt like sweet relief for Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin.
Rookie forward Sarah Fillier scored the third-period game-winner and veteran Brianne Jenner sealed the win with an empty-net goal Friday in Calgary.
“To be honest, it’s hard to put into words, just watching the video before the game on the blue-line and when they said the world championship was finally open, to be honest, it gave me shivers,” Poulin said.
Poulin, Erin Ambrose and Jamie Lee Rattray also scored for the host Canadians, who trailed by two goals after the opening period.
Natalie Spooner and Claire Thompson each had two assists. Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped eight shots for the win.
Minnamari Tuominen, Nelli Laitinen and Elisa Holopainen replied for Finland, with Anni Keisala turning away 39 shots in the loss.
The Czech Republic downed Denmark 6-1 in Pool B earlier Friday and the United States blanked Switzerland 3-0 in the evening game as the 10-country women’s championship got underway 859 days after the last one in Espoo, Finland.
The 2020 and 2021 tournaments scheduled for Halifax and Truro, N.S., were both cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.
When Nova Scotia pulled the plug on the tournament in May, Hockey Canada rescheduled and relocated the tournament to Calgary in summer less than six months out from Beijing’s Winter Olympics in February.
Poulin barely played in Espoo because of a knee injury, so the gap felt even longer for the 30-year-old from Beauceville, Que.
“Bringing back that jersey for an international game was very special today,” Poulin said. “We’ve been waiting for that moment for a long time.”
When Holopainen drew the Finns even at 7:13 of the third period, Fillier scored a go-ahead goal 25 seconds later.
The 21-year-old from Georgetown, Ont., is one of eight players making their world championship debut for Canada in Calgary.
“They’re the types of shifts that we have to win momentum or gain momentum back and usually good players and goal scorers find ways to contribute in those times,” Canadian head coach Troy Ryan said.
“Not only was it a confidence boost builder for her, I thought it was awesome for our team to regain momentum after that tying goal.”
Canada didn’t play in a world championship final for the first time in the history of the tournament in 2019 after a 4-2 loss to Finland in the semifinal.
Canada took the bronze medal, while the host Finns fell 2-1 in a shootout to the United States in the gold-medal game in Espoo.
Canada’s 4-1 pre-tournament win Wednesday over Finland was the first meeting between the two countries since that semifinal.
Down 2-0 in Friday’s opener, Canada swarmed the offensive zone for a second-period 25-2 edge in shots, and scored twice in a 20-second span to pull even.
“I don’t think we entered the offensive zone, not even once in the second period,” Tuominen said.
“We just need to focus on getting out of our zone and getting the puck deep and getting changes. Then we get fresh legs on the ice and maybe create something other than just playing d-zone.”
Holopainen pulled the Finns even with a backhand tip between the pads of Desbiens, but Fillier quickly responded when Spooner fed her in the slot from behind the net.
Canada led for the first time in the game early in the third period when Jenner’s redirection deflected off Ambrose and by Keisala.
Poulin wired a wrist shot past Keisala right after Rattray scored at 14:41 during a goal-mouth scramble in the second period.
Finland’s power-play went 0-for-11 in the tune-up, but converted its first chance Friday to spot the visitors a two-goal lead by 6:05 of the opening period.
Tuominen scored five-on-three. Laitinen’s off-speed deflection of a Sofianna Sundelin shot spun by the glove of Desbiens at 2:25.
Finland coach Pasi Mustonen also has eight rookies in his lineup.
“We were better in the first period actually and played a wonderful period,” Mustonen said. “I’m actually quite satisfied with the way we played when you look at the whole game.
“Knowing this wasn’t our best game we will play here in worlds, we will try to play better and better, so it will be interesting to see what happens.”
Canada meets Russia in Pool A on Sunday, followed by Switzerland on Tuesday and the U.S. on Thursday.
The quarterfinals Aug. 28 are followed by the Aug. 30 semifinals and medal games Aug. 31.
Hockey Canada didn’t sell tickets for the preliminary round, but allows a maximum of 120 family members into a dedicated section of WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre if they wear masks and don’t have COVID-19 symptoms.
No player, official or team staff member had tested positive for the virus since the 10 teams entered the tournament bubble Aug. 10, the International Ice Hockey Federation said Friday in statement.
Finland is minus star goaltender Noora R?ty, whose combined 93 saves in the 2019 semifinal and final earned her the award for the tournament’s top goaltender.
R?ty didn’t join the Finnish team this summer because she couldn’t financially afford to leave her Minnesota goaltending school this summer, she told the Finnish media outlet Ilta-Sanomat earlier this month.
Keisala proved able to fill the void with save after save to make Canada work for the victory.
“She’s been the best goalie in Finland the last year,” Mustonen said.
Notes: Rosters were expanded to 25 players from 23 for this world championship for extra personnel in the event of injury . . . Canadian forwards Laura Stacey and Kristin O’Neill and goaltender Kristin Campbell were scratches Friday . . . Finnish defender Jenni Hiirikoski joined Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser and countrywoman Karoliina Rantamaki for participation in the most world championships at 13. At 69 career games, Hiirikoski is one off the record for the most games played.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
