USA Women's Hockey

FUSSEN, Germany – Four different players recorded hat tricks to lead the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team to an 18-0 blanking of the Czech Republic here tonight in the semifinals of the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship at the Fussen Arena. With the win, Team USA (4-0-0-0) advances to tomorrow night's gold-medal game against Canada at 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EST).

Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.), Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.), Alev Kelter (Eagle River, Alaska) and Madison Packer (Birmingham, Mich.) each tallied a hat trick, whileAmanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) notched five points (2-3) and Corinne Boyles (Wheaton, Ill.) picked up the shutout win.

"We're excited for the opportunity to play for the gold medal," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "It is the ultimate goal to play in the championship game and I anticipate that it will be very exciting; we're looking forward to it."

Team USA jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening frame. Coyne started the scoring with a rebound goal off a Blake Bolden (Stow, Ohio) shot during a U.S. power play at 3:39. Amanda Pelkey (Montpelier, Vt.) doubled the lead using a spin-move in the slot and sweeping the puck between Czech goalie Monika Pencikova's legs at 5:11. Extending the advantage to three goals, Decker brought the puck in front of the net from the end boards and put a wrist shot high stick side at 7:14.

Meagan Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.) was next to score for the United States, as her slap shot from the right point hit the top right corner of the net at 13:10. Just 1:10 later, Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) found Decker, who stickhandled around the crease and flipped the puck inside the right post to make the score 5-0. Kessel and Coyne then traded goals and assists - first Kessel scored with a helper from Coyne at 14:39, then their roles reversed at 19:09 for a 7-0 game. Caroline Campbell's (Fordland, Mo.) wrister from the top of the slot went over the top of Pencikova's head and into the net at 19:47 to close out period's scoring.

In the second frame, the Americans potted six more lamp-lighters to gain a 14-0 advantage. Decker used a shorthanded rush to complete her hat trick at 2:11 with a wrist shot that hit the cross-bar and went into the net. Coyne then finished her own hat trick at 4:46 on the power play. Packer scored twice in less than two minutes in the later half of the period with a tally from Pelkey sandwiched in between. Packer's first goal was a backhanded power-play marker at 11:15, followed by Pelkey's goal at 11:53 and Packer's second at the 13:00 mark. Kelter put one in from the right point at 18:09 for a 14-goal U.S. lead.

Four more goals in the final stanza, including Kelter's second at :30, Kessel's second at 1:10 and a third for Packer and Kelter at 2:59 and 14:44, respectively, accounted for the 18-0 final score.

NOTES: Brianna Decker was named U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA outshot the Czech Republic, 64-14 ... The United States went 4-for-6 on the power play, while holding the Czech Republic scoreless on four chances ... Amanda Kessel leads the tournament with 19 points (6-13) in four games. Kendall Coyne is second with 13 points (7-6) andMadison Packer is third with 11 points (6-5) ... Joining Mark Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Katie King, head women’s ice hockey coach at Boston College, and Jeff Giesen, head women’s ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 8 6 4 -- 18
CZE 0 0 0 -- 0

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Coyne (Kessel, Bolden), 3:39 (pp); 2, USA, Pelkey (Kenyon), 5:11; 3, USA, Decker (unassisted), 7:14; 4, USA Mangene (Kelter), 13:10; 5, USA, Decker (Bozek), 14:20; 6, USA, Kessel (Coyne), 14:39; 7, USA, Coyne (Kessel), 19:09; 8, USA, Campbell (unassisted), 19:47. Penalties: CZE, Fialova (hooking), 3:11; USA, Packer (cross- checking), 7:25; USA, Bolden (body checking), 8:15; RUS, Tomigova (roughing), 9:09; USA, Coyne (tripping), 14:52.

Second Period - Scoring: 9, USA, Decker (Ammerman), 2:11 (sh); 10, USA, Coyne (Kenyon), 4:46 (pp); 11, USA, Packer (Bolden), 11:15 (pp); 12, USA, Pelkey (unassisted), 11:53; 13, USA, Packer (Ammerman), 13:00; 14, USA, Kelter (Nelson, Pelkey), 18:09. Penalties: USA, Pelkey (interference), :43; CZE, Fialova (tripping), 2:48; CZE, Pipkova (tripping), 9:48.

Third Period - Scoring: 15, USA, Kelter (unassisted), :30; 16, USA, Kessel (unassisted), 1:10; 17, USA, Packer (unassisted), 2:59; 18, USA, Kelter (Fry), 14:44 (pp). Penalties: CZE, Vojtechova (hooking), 10:43; CZE, Krupkova (body checking), 13:52.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 26 29 9 64
CZE 11 3 0 14
         
Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Boyles, 60:00 11-11 3-3 0-0 14-14
CZE, Pencikova, 31:53 26-18 20-16 x-x 46-34
CZE, Simunkova, 28:07 x-x 9-7 9-5 18-12

Power Play: USA 4-6; CZE 0-4
Penalties: USA 4-8; CZE 6-12
Officials: Referee-Mamiko Utsumi (JPN); Linesmen-Elena Ivanova (RUS), Daniela Kiefer (GER)