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Canada thrashes Finns for bronze – IIHF

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Tournament scoring leader Chloe Primerano set records with two goals and an assist as Canada beat Finland 8-1 for the bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship.

With 16 points (8+8=16), Primerano established a new single-tournament points record by a defender. In addition, the 17-year-old prodigy surpassed the U.S.’s Kendall Coyne Schofield (15 points in 2009) and Canada’s Jessica Campbell (15 points, 2010) for the second-highest total in U18 Women’s Worlds history. The U.S.’s Amanda Kessel (19 points, 2009) is tops all-time.

“I think all of her teammates, staff and people involved in this program can say we’re not surprised,” said Canadian coach Tara Watchorn. “Chloe is such a hard worker. This was her coming-out stage and she did really well. But I think the coolest part is just the teammate she was all the way through the tournament. She was such a pleasure to work with.”

On Sunday, Caitlin Kraemer and Abby Stonehouse also stepped up with two goals apiece. The only previous Canadian bronze medal was in 2018.

“It says a lot about our team that we stuck together and pulled through,” said Stonehouse, who finished with 11 points. “We ended on a high note, which we’ve been talking about.”
 

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The Canadians outshot Finland 52-12, and the result was never in doubt. The Finns simply ran out of gas in their first WW18 bronze medal game ever against Canada. The Finns have won bronze thrice (2011, 2019, 2022), with no other medals.

“We tried our best, and it just wasn’t enough today,” said Finnish captain Tuuli Tallinen.

For the second straight year, Kraemer had 10 goals, one shy of U.S. forward Haley Skarupa’s single-tournament record (11, 2012). Kraemer, Stonehouse’s teammate with the Waterloo-Kitchener Rangers, also nailed down the Canadian U18 Women’s Worlds career goals record (20) over two tournaments. She ranks two goals behind all-time leader Coyne Schofield, who took three tournaments (2008-10) to rack up 22 goals.

“She’s a really special player,” Watchorn said of Kraemer. “She was a great leader for us this time around, and it was fun to watch her play and elevate the people next to her.”

Mackenzie Alexander had a goal and an assist, and Maxine Cimoroni also scored for Canada.

Finnish scoring leader Emma Ekoluoma replied with her eighth goal of the tournament. Kuisma summed up the 17-year-old Karpat Oulu sniper’s future: “Pretty shiny! She’s a huge player and a huge person off the ice. She keeps both feet on the ground.”

Watchorn had to get her players refocused after a heartbreaking, unprecedented 4-2 semi-final loss to the Czechs. That ended Canada’s reign as two-time defending champions.

“I think it taught us a lot, just to not take any game for granted,” Primerano said. “You have to come out flying every game. Every team is good in this tournament. Next year, we’ve got to come out and work as hard as we can and try to not let what happened this year happen again.”

Rhyah Stewart appeared in net for Canada as number one goalie Hannah Clark was sidelined due to a semi-final injury. Finland’s Kerttu Kuja-Halkola got her sixth start.

Canada hammered Finland 10-0 in the preliminary round, and this affair wasn’t much different.

Alexander opened the scoring at 4:54. She got the puck from Primerano with speed in the neutral zone, cut into the high slot, and whipped a shot past Kuja-Halkola’s blocker.

Primerano’s assist lifted her past Brigette Lacquette (2+11=13, 2010) for the points record for defenders.

Kraemer hailed Primerano: “That’s pretty special to come out as a first-year and have that type of impact. It’ll be exciting to see what she does for the rest of her career, because she has a lot of promise, and she’s also a great teammate.”

Canada controlled the game early on with strong puck movement, keeping Finland bottled up in its own zone. Stonehouse doubled Canada’s lead at 12:19, firing a bad-angle shot that went in off defender Nelly Andersson’s stick.

Seconds after Canada’s first power play expired, Stonehouse jumped on a loose puck and beat Kuja-Halkola over the glove to make it 3-0 at 18:22. First-period shots favoured Canada 21-4.

Just 1:45 into the second period, Kraemer went to the net and tipped in a nice feed from Alexander. A lucky bounce made it 5-0, with Jessica MacKinnon’s shot bouncing in off Cimonori’s skate. 

Kraemer, unguarded in front of the Finnish net, scored on the power play at 11:17 to make it 6-0, courtesy of a nice Stryker Zablocki pass from below the goal line.

Ten seconds after a potential Jessica Pellerin goal was nullified for a kicking motion, an unfortunate incident saw Finland’s Emmi Loponen stretchered off after a run-in with Pieckenhagen along the side boards. The Canadian received a boarding minor on the play.

Primerano got Canada’s seventh goal shorthanded on the rush with a laser at 18:15.

In the third period, Primerano deked her way to the net for an 8-0 lead at 10:56. Ekoluoma was mobbed by her teammates after ending Stewart’s shutout bid at 11:44. It was a little bit of consolation.

The Finns have had a tough bronze-medal game draw two years in a row. In 2023, they lost 5-0 to the U.S. in Ostersund, Sweden.

“Obviously it feels like it’s unfair,” Kuisma said. “But what can you do? You have to win the right games.”

Finland has only beaten Canada once at the U18 Women’s Worlds. Goalie Emilia Kyrkko starred with 40 saves in a 2-0 win to open the 2022 tournament in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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