Czechia overcame a 5-2 Finland lead and scored the only five goals of the third period to defeat Finland 8-5 and win the bronze medal, their second medal in as many years.
Tomas Hamara scored the winner at 18:19 off a faceoff win just 15 seconds after they had tied the score with the extra attacker. They then added two empty netters. It was a shocking collapse from Finland which looked dominant in the last half of the second period.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game like this,” Hamara said, medal around his neck. “It was pretty crazy. To be honest, I was really down when they scored the fifth goal because it was my fault, a big mistake. But my teammates helped me a lot. They were cheering on the bench to pick me up. I knew I had to do something special, so I’m so glad I scored that goal, and so happy that we won. It means so much for us.”
That wild third period produced two records. The Czechs scored four goals in a span of just 50 seconds, obliterating the previous record of 68 seconds set by Canada in 1983. They also scored two goals in two seconds, both empty netters. The previous record was six seconds, set three times.
It was a game that featured two teams with very different records in bronze-medal games. The Finns had won five of seven games for third place while Czechia had won just one of seven. The pattern proved the opposite today.
“Our coaches did a great job preparing us,” Hamara added. “Even right after the game yesterday they were telling us we have no time to be sad or disappointed. Just focus on tomorrow because it’s a game for the bronze medal.”
Ondrej Becher had a hat trick and two assists while Jiri Kulich had two goals and two assists. Hamara had a goal and two helpers.
Finland got the early jump on the medals with two goals just 90 seconds apart. The first came at 6:13 when Rasmus Kumpulainen moved into the slot and fired a shot past the weak glove of Michael Hrabal, who has given up many a goal to the trapper side.
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The Finns made it 2-0 off a turnover behind the Czechia net. Jani Nyman had a good look at the goal before shooting, netting his second goal of the tournament. After Hrabal surrendered this goal coach Patrik Augusta made a change, putting in Jakub Vondras, who was seeing his first action of the tournament.
The Czechs got back into the game on a late power play. Just seven seconds after Emil Pieniniemi was whistled for tripping, Matyas Melovsky made a perfect cross-ice pass back to door to captain Kulich, and his one-timer found the short side at 16:16.
As so often happens in the bronze game, a relatively tame opening period gave way to a wide-open second, and today that meant an explosion of goals, including three in just 34 seconds. The fun began on a Czech power play when Jakub Stancl’s shot from the middle of the ice slithered through the pads of Miklas Kokko, tying the game at 8:37.
But while that goal was being announced Finland struck twice on two similar plays. First Jani Nyman beat his man along the boards and fed Konsta Helenius with a nice pass to the back side, which he converted at 8:52. Then, 19 seconds later, Lenni Hameenaho took a similar pass from the other side from Oiva Keskinen and wired it in to give the Finns a 4-2 lead.
They added another on the power play five minutes later, a highlight-reel goal, to be sure. Hameenaho flew down the right side, beat Hamara with a gorgeous move, and backhanded the puck to the far side. Top-3 goal of the tournament.
Czechia, however, gave themselves a ray of hope with a short-handed goal in the final minute. Becher kept a tricky pass onside and went in alone, beating Kokko with a shot to the blocker side to make it 5-3.
“It was a huge goal for us, short-handed,” Hamara noted. “It makes such a big difference coming into the third being down two goals instead of three.”
Indeed, early in the third, they made life a little awkward for Finland, scoring on another power play at 4:41 to make it a one-goal game again. Kulich, with another brilliant one-timer, was the scorer.
That awkwardness became something worse for Finland–a tie game–late in the third with Vondras on the bench for a sixth attacker. Becher poppped home a loose puck at 18:04 to make it a 5-5 game. That comfortable 5-2 lead for Suomi was a thing of the distant past now.
And 15 seconds later, the game was decided when Hamara snapped a long shot in after a faceoff win. The Czechs added two empty netters to claim their second medal in as many years, and a stunned Finland skated off the ice finishing in fourth place.
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.
