With a Pool A Showdown looming on Monday night (April 8), Canada and Team USA shut out their opponents en route to victories in round-robin play at the women’s World Championships on Friday (April 5). Canada, playing its second game in as many days, defeated Switzerland 3-0, while the host United States had little trouble defeating Czechia 6-0.
Canada Sluggish in Victory
Canada certainly wasn’t at its sharpest in its second tournament game. Still, they really didn’t need to be coasting to a 3-0 victory over a team it has historically dominated. The teams have played 20 times in this event since 1997, and Canada has won every game by a rather incredible cumulative score of 155-9. Emma Maltais and Sarah Nurse scored Canada’s first two goals, and Natalie Spooner assisted on both in the first period. The trio are Toronto teammates and occasional linemates in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) in its inaugural season.
Part of Canada’s sluggishness could probably be centered on beating Finland 4-1 on Thursday night for their 100th all-time victory in this tournament. Then, the team had to turn around 20 hours later to play Switzerland, which had opened the tournament on Wednesday with a 4-0 loss to Team USA and thus had extra rest. And still, the Canadians owned a lopsided 45-17 shots on goal advantage.
After two games, Switzerland (0-2) was still looking for its first tournament goal. Ohio State alum Andrea Braendli was again outstanding in net, stopping 43 of 45 shots after her 51 saves in a 4-0 loss to the United States. Emerance Maschmeyer, PWHL Ottawa’s No. 1 goalie, posted a 17-save shutout in her first tournament start for Canada.
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Canadian head coach Troy Ryan continued to ease captain Marie-Philip-Poulin into the tournament by limiting her minutes. Poulin played just over 14 minutes on Friday, about two minutes more than the opener. She missed PWHL Montreal’s last three games before the international break with an undisclosed injury.
Canada closes Group A with another set of back-to-back games starting Sunday afternoon against Czechia before playing the United States on Monday.
United States Dominating in Win over Czechia
Alex Carpenter netted a hat trick to power the United States to a 6-0 shutout win over Czechia. Team USA made a huge effort to solve Czechia goalie Klara Peslarova, who played outstandingly in the first 36 minutes of the contest and faced 48 shots on goal for the game.
“You have to earn your bounces at this level, and tonight was reflective of Alex Carpenter earning her bounces,” John Wroblewski, head coach of the 2024 U.S. Women’s National Team, said after the game. “Our younger players provided a ton of momentum and are playing really strong games for us.”
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Carpenter scored in all three periods, while Laila Edwards chipped in two goals, and Taylor Heise, the first pick overall in this year’s PWHL Draft, scored her first of the tournament. Edwards scored USA’s third goal against Czechia, becoming the first black woman in USA Hockey history to score for the country at the World Championships.
Edwards was an integral part of the University of Wisconsin’s attack this season, scoring 21 goals and 56 points in 41 games for the Badgers. She made her national team debut earlier this season in the Rivalry Series against Canada.
Team USA goalie Nicole Hensley was tested multiple times in the final five minutes because Team USA was shorthanded following a major penalty to Kirsten Simms, but she completed a 19-save shutout.
The United States will have little time between games as they return to the ice to face Finland on Saturday, April 6.
