Canada has offensive outburst to defeat ROC at women’s world hockey championship
]
Canada got offensive contributions from the young and the veteran in a 5-1 win Sunday over Russia at the women’s world hockey championship.
Fourteen different Canadians registered an offensive point in the first meeting with the Russians since beating them for the bronze medal in the 2019 world championship.
Canada’s scorers ranged from youngest player Sarah Fillier at age 21 to the most seasoned forward Rebecca Johnston at 31.
Defender Ella Shelton, 23, earned her first goal with the national women’s team.
Two-time Olympian Melodie Daoust, a 29-year-old mother of a three-year-old son, and defender Erin Ambrose also scored.
“We’re a team and that’s what matters the most,” Daoust said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s your first world championship or your fourth.”
Ann-Renee Desbiens made six saves for the win. Russian forward Olga Sosina scored a power-play goal with one second remaining in regulation.
Russian starting goalie Nadezhda Morozova had 33 saves when she was replaced in the second period by Anna Prugova, who stopped 24 shots.
The host Canadians (2-0) meet Switzerland (0-2) on Tuesday in Pool A before wrapping the preliminary round Thursday against the defending champion United States.
The U.S. (2-0) beat Finland (0-2) in a later Pool A game Sunday. The Czech Republic (2-0) doubled Hungary (0-2) 4-2 in Pool B.
The quarter-finals are Saturday followed by the Aug. 30 semifinals and medal games Aug. 31.
Russia continues to be designated “ROC” (Russian Olympic Committee) in IIHF tournaments, without the country’s flag displayed or anthem played, because of World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions against the country in international sport.
WATCH | Hilier scores again for Canada in victory over ROC:
Sarah Hilier scores again for Canada at hockey worlds 1:00 The 21-year-old, Georgetown, Ont. native opened the scoring in Canada’s 5-1 win over ROC at the IIHF women’s world championship in Calgary. 1:00
Canada outshot Russia 62-7 and dominated puck possession Sunday, but didn’t score until the second period for a second straight game.
The Russians aggressively used their sticks and bodies to break up scoring chances early in front of Morozova, who gobbled up shots from the perimeter. Russia’s defence began to break down in the second period, however.
“We tried to not only play physically per se, but actively, to chase the defenders, to pressure them, to be aggressive on the forecheck and on the backcheck,” Sofina said. “If you can play like that against Canadians, you’ve got a chance.
“We want to take it to the next level to compete equally with the Canadians and the Americans. We need to be better and we need to get our chances.”
Canada was prepared for a hard brand of hockey from the Russians based on a pre-scouting report from assistant coach Doug Derraugh, said head coach Troy Ryan.
Without any international games the last year and a half because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian women spent the extra time in the gym to get stronger.
‘Everybody on this team is hungry to win’
“We just know we’ve got to match anybody’s physicality and even take it over a little bit,” Ryan said. “[We] can play that game against anybody.”
A sixth Canadian goal by Victoria Bach was ruled offside in the third period. Johnston re-directed an Emily Clark shot home at 14:09.
Russia’s Valeria Pavlova hit the post on a breakaway after Daoust scored Canada’s fourth goal. Daoust batted in a rebound off a Natalie Spooner effort two minutes into the period.
Morozova was swapped for Prugova after Ambrose’s slapshot from the point deflected off Russian defender Anna Savonina and into the net at 13:48 of the second.
Shelton caged a Brianne Jenner feed from the far boards and beat Morozova’s glove with a wrist shot at 9:11.
“I would say I got all the nerves and jitters out of that first game,” Shelton said.
“Going back into the locker room after every period, there’s lots of good leaders to lean on and look for advice and look for that extra pump to get you through the next period.
“Everybody on this team is hungry to win.”
Fillier scored her second goal in as many games putting the puck between Morozova’s pads off an odd-man rush at 7:29.
Defenders Claire Thompson and Ashton Bell, who are making their world championship debut in Calgary, have a combined four assists between them.
WATCH | Previewing Team Canada at the women’s world hockey championships:
Previewing Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship 4:40 Anastasia Bucsis is joined by two-time Olympic gold medallist Cheryl Pounder to preview the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship tournament. 4:40
“To have success in these events, in a short-term event, you need to have depth,” Ryan said. “You need to find scoring from everywhere.”
The 2021 women’s championship was scheduled to be held in Nova Scotia in April, but was postponed to May and ultimately cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hockey Canada relocated and rescheduled the 10-country tournament to Calgary in August.
Canada Russia Women’s Worlds
]
CALGARY — Canada got offensive contributions from the young and the veteran in a 5-1 win Sunday over Russia at the women’s world hockey championship.
Fourteen different Canadians registered an offensive point in the first meeting with the Russians since beating them for the bronze medal in the 2019 world championship.
Canada’s scorers ranged from youngest player Sarah Fillier at age 21 to the most seasoned forward Rebecca Johnston at 31.
Defender Ella Shelton, 23, earned her first goal with the national women’s team.
Two-time Olympian Melodie Daoust, a 29-year-old mother of a three-year-old son, and defender Erin Ambrose also scored.
“We’re a team and that’s what matters the most,” Daoust said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s your first world championship or your fourth.”
Ann-Renee Desbiens made six saves for the win. Russian forward Olga Sosina scored a power-play goal with one second remaining in regulation.
Russian starting goalie Nadezhda Morozova had 33 saves when she was replaced in the second period by Anna Prugova, who stopped 24 shots.
The host Canadians (2-0) meet Switzerland (0-2) on Tuesday in Pool A before wrapping the preliminary round Thursday against the defending champion United States.
The U.S. (1-0) and Finland (0-1) met in a later Pool A game Sunday. The Czech Republic (2-0) doubled Hungary (0-2) 4-2 in Pool B.
The quarterfinals are Saturday followed by the Aug. 30 semifinals and medal games Aug. 31.
Russia continues to be designated “ROC’’ (Russian Olympic Committee) in IIHF tournaments, without the country’s flag displayed or anthem played, because of World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions against the country in international sport.
Canada outshot Russia 62-7 and dominated puck possession Sunday, but didn’t score until the second period for a second straight game.
The Russians aggressively used their sticks and bodies to break up scoring chances early in front of Morozova, who gobbled up shots from the perimeter. Russia’s defence began to break down in the second period, however.
“We tried to not only play physically per se, but actively, to chase the defenders, to pressure them, to be aggressive on the forecheck and on the backcheck,” Sofina said. “If you can play like that against Canadians, you’ve got a chance.
“We want to take it to the next level to compete equally with the Canadians and the Americans. We need to be better and we need to get our chances.”
Canada was prepared for a hard brand of hockey from the Russians based on a pre-scouting report from assistant coach Doug Derraugh, said head coach Troy Ryan.
Without any international games the last year and a half because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian women spent the extra time in the gym to get stronger.
“We just know we’ve got to match anybody’s physicality and even take it over a little bit,” Ryan said. “(We) can play that game against anybody.”
A sixth Canadian goal by Victoria Bach was ruled offside in the third period. Johnston re-directed an Emily Clark shot home at 14:09.
Russia’s Valeria Pavlova hit the post on a breakaway after Daoust scored Canada’s fourth goal. Daoust batted in a rebound off a Natalie Spooner effort two minutes into the period.
Morozova was swapped for Prugova after Ambrose’s slapshot from the point deflected off Russian defender Anna Savonina and into the net at 13:48 of the second.
Shelton caged a Brianne Jenner feed from the far boards and beat Morozova’s glove with a wrist shot at 9:11.
“I would say I got all the nerves and jitters out of that first game,” Shelton said.
“Going back into the locker room after every period, there’s lots of good leaders to lean on and look for advice and look for that extra pump to get you through the next period.
“Everybody on this team is hungry to win.”
Fillier scored her second goal in as many games putting the puck between Morozova’s pads off an odd-man rush at 7:29.
Defenders Claire Thompson and Ashton Bell, who are making their world championship debut in Calgary, have a combined four assists between them.
“To have success in these events, in a short-term event, you need to have depth,” Ryan said. “You need to find scoring from everywhere.”
The 2021 women’s championship was scheduled to be held in Nova Scotia in April, but was postponed to May and ultimately cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hockey Canada relocated and rescheduled the 10-country tournament to Calgary in August.
Women’s Worlds Recap: Canada 5, ROC 1
]
Women’s Worlds Recap: Canada 5, ROC 1
Canada spread around the scoring to down the Russians and stay unbeaten in Group A
GAME STATS: CANADA 5, ROC 1
CALGARY, Alta. – Five players scored goals and 13 recorded at least a point as Canada’s National Women’s Team eased past ROC 5-1 on Sunday night to stay perfect at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
The Canadians dominated from start to finish, outshooting the Russians 62-7.
Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont./Princeton University, ECAC), Ella Shelton (Ingersoll, Ont.), Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont.), Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que.) and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont.) provided the offence for the Canadians.
Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que) made six saves, coming within 1.3 seconds of a shutout.
The story early was Russian goaltender Nadezhda Morozova, who kept the game scoreless through the first period with 17 saves, but the Canadian offence awoke in the second.
Fillier, who netted the game-winner in the tournament-opening 5-3 win over Finland on Friday, opened the scoring 7:29 into the middle frame; with the teams playing four-on-four, she kept on a 3-on-1 break and waited for Morozova to make the first move before going five-hole for the 1-0 goal.
Shelton doubled the advantage 1:42 later, jumping in off the blue line and finishing a feed from Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.), and Ambrose hammered a point shot off a Russian leg and past Morozova at 13:48 to make it 3-0.
That was it for the Russian netminder, who was replaced by Anna Prugova shortly after the Ambrose goal.
Canada outshot ROC 21-2 in the second period, and had an 38-5 edge through 40 minutes.
The offensive onslaught continued in the third, with another 24 shots directed at Prugova.
Daoust stretched the lead to four two minutes into the final stanza, jamming in a Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont.) rebound, and Johnston redirected an Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask.) shot through Prugova with 5:51 left.
A very late penalty put the Russians on the power play, and Olga Sosina wired a shot past Desbiens on the short side right off the face-off to spoil the clean sheet for the Canadian.
Canada tries to make it three-for-three in Group A when it takes on Switzerland in its penultimate preliminary-round game on Tuesday night (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT).