NORRKOPING, Sweden -- Krissy Wendell (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) scored two shorthanded goals and Angela Ruggiero (Harper Woods, Mich.) tallied a goal and two assists as Team USA defeated Finland, 8-1 here tonight. With the win, the U.S. completed the Preliminary Round with a perfect 3-0-0 record and earned a top seed in the Semifinal Round. Team USA will face Sweden in the semifinal game on Friday and the winner will advance to the Gold Medal game.
"Tonight we got an early jump, which was good for us and not good for Finland, who wanted to keep the game close," said head coach Ben Smith. "We have players who are game-breakers and they did just that tonight."
Shelley Looney (Brownstown Twp., Mich.) opened the scoring for Team USA, backhanding a Ruggiero rebound into the high, stick-side corner at 9:01 of the first. Eight scoreless minutes elapsed before Ruggiero scored the eventual game-winner with a shot from the blueline.
Early in the second stanza with Team USA on the penalty kill, Wendell took the faceoff and walked the puck in from center ice to score a shorthanded goal. Cammi Granato (Downers Grove, Ill.) added to the U.S. lead halfway through the period, lifting a shot over the shoulder of Finlands Noora Raty. With Team USA again on the penalty kill, Wendell scored her second shorthanded goal of the period, firing from the slot at 14:09 for a 5-0 United States lead after two periods.
Finland scored early in the third period, but Lyndsay Wall (Churchville, N.Y.) answered with her first goal of the tournament, a hard shot from the blueline to give Team USA a 6-1 lead. Minutes later, Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) extended that lead, redirecting a centering pass under the crossbar and into the Finland net. Kristin King (Piqua, Ohio) wrapped up the scoring with her first Team USA goal at 11:47 of the final stanza.
Chanda Gunn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) stopped 10 shots and held Finland scoreless for two periods en route to her second win of the tournament.
Team USA returns to action on Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EDT). The game can be heard via live audiocast at www.usahockey.com.
NOTES: Team USA claimed the top seed in Group B, which included Finland, China and Germany, after scoring a group-high 23 goals and allowing just three. ... Ruggiero (one goal, two assists) earned U.S. Player of the Game recognition for tonights game. ... Team USA killed seven of eight penalties in the game (87.5%). ... The next two games for Team USA, including the Semifinal Round and Medal Round games, can be heard via live audiocast at www.usahockey.com. ... In other tournament action tonight, Canada defeated Sweden, 10-0; China and Germany tied, 3-3; and Kazahkstan tied Russia, 2-2.
GAME SUMMARY
FIN 0 0 1 -- 1
USA 2 3 3 -- 8
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Looney (Ruggiero), 9:01; 2, USA, Ruggiero (Potter, Parsons), 17:28 (PP). Penalties: USA, Ruggiero (interference) 3:17; FIN, Laaksonen (tripping), 9:54; USA, Insalaco (hooking) 13:25; FIN, Lipsonen (interference), 16:54.
Second Period - Scoring: 3, Wendell (unassisted), 1:52 (SH); 4, Granato (Ruggiero, Wendell), 8:06; 5, Wendell (Stephens), 14:09 (SH). Penalties: USA, Granato (holding the stick) 1:45; USA, Insalaco (tripping), 9:49; USA, Kennedy (bodychecking), 13:43; USA, Darwitz (roughing), 13:48; FIN, Riipi (roughing), 13:48; USA, Kr.King (interference), 16:10.
Third Period - Scoring: 6, FIN, Kovalainen (Sirvio, Tuominen), 2:42 (PP); 7, USA, Wall (Darwitz), 4:54 (PP); 8, USA, Potter (Wendell, Granato) 8:08; 9, USA, Kr.King (Wall), 11:47. Penalties: USA, Ka.King (interference), 1:41; FIN, Saarinen (tripping), 4:22; USA, Ka.King (bodychecking) 16:26; FIN, Tallus (bodychecking), 18:24; FIN, Sirvio (interference), 20:00.
Goaltending: 1 2 3 TS GA
USA, Gunn (40:00) 4 6 0 10 0
USA, Van Beusekom (20:00) 0 0 2 2 1
FIN, Raty (29:27) 15 6 0 21 4
FIN, Piroinen (30:33) 0 6 20 26 4
Tag(s): 2005
