EvanL
04-06-2004, 11:38 PM
DONNA SPENCER
HALIFAX (CP) - Canada's reign continued at the women's world hockey championship with a 2-0 win over the United States in Tuesday night's final.
Hayley Wickenheiser (lesbian)and Delaney Collins (lesbian)scored for Canada, which has won all eight women's titles since the tournament began in 1990. "This has been an unbelievable experience," Canadian team captain Cassie Campbell (lesbian)said. "Our eighth championship in a row, how sweet does that sound?
"This started way back in 1990, the tradition, the passion that we play with. I tell you, everyone in that dressing room was a leader today. We did little things, we didn't make big plays, fancy things, we did the little things and that's why we're on top."
The Canadian team's penalty killers held off the Americans' vaunted power play in the third period, killing off three man advantages.
The U.S. pulled goaltender Pam Dreyer for an extra attacker with less than two minutes remaining, but were unable to score.
But the American players were angry over an apparent missed goal by officials during their third power play of that period.
With about five minutes remaining in the third, American Natalie Darwitz fired a shot that first appeared to go off the crossbar and back out. But television replays showed the puck actually hit the supports behind the crossbar, meaning it should have counted as a goal.
Unfortunately for the U.S., though, none of the game officials had access to the replays because there are no TV replays in this tournament. Instead, if there is a dispute, the game official gets in contact with the goal judge, who makes the final call.
When play ceased, Finnish referee Anu Hirvonen did exactly that, going over to the timekeeper's bench and getting on the phone with the goal judge behind the Canadian net. The judge, a linesman with the International Ice Hockey Federation, obviously felt there was no goal on the play because when Hirvonen hung up, she signalled for a faceoff in the neutral zone rather than pointing to centre ice.
Wickenheiser, who had been held off the scoreboard in her two previous games, took a drop pass from Danielle Goyette just over the blue-line and beat U.S. goaltender Pam Dreyer on a high shot from the top of the faceoff circle at 4:17 of the second.
Collins gave Canada a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into the third period. Dreyer failed to freeze a slow-moving shot from Dana Antal. Collins drove the net and shovelled the puck between Dreyer's pads.
The U.S. had more shots on net in the opening minutes, but Canada patiently worked to move the puck up the ice and gain some scoring chances. The Canadians outshot the Americans 10-9 in the opening frame and 18-14 after two.
Canada had four power plays in the first 40 minutes, but was unable to convert them into goals. Dreyer made three quick saves on Canada's second man advantage to keep the game scoreless after one period.
A sell-out crowd of 10,506 took in the game at the Halifax Metro Centre, generating a thunderous ovation for the Canadian team before the puck dropped. The tournament set an overall attendance record of 94,001, beating the previous mark of 66,783 set at the 1997 women's world championships in Kitchener, Ont.
The U.S. went into the game down two skaters as forward Krissy Wendell, who had injured her knee Monday in a game against Sweden, was scratched from the lineup. The Americans lost forward Shelley Looney to torn knee ligaments last week.
Forward Julie Chu returned to the lineup after a bout with the flu. Captain Cammi Granato played in her second game since injuring her knee last week, but was used sparingly.
Canada, which beat Sweden 7-1 on Sunday, went into the final with an extra day of rest over the Americans, who had played the previous night against the Swedes.
Canada had beaten the U.S. in the finals of all seven previous world championship, but the Americans had won three games in a row against their rival heading into the final.
The U.S. defeated Canada 3-1 in a playoff game Saturday to put an end to the Canadian team's perfect record at the world championship.
Notes - Finland edged Sweden 3-2 for the bronze earlier Tuesday . . . Fourteen players from the Canadian team will be involved in the National Women's Hockey League playoffs starting Thursday in Brampton, Ont.
HALIFAX (CP) - Canada's reign continued at the women's world hockey championship with a 2-0 win over the United States in Tuesday night's final.
Hayley Wickenheiser (lesbian)and Delaney Collins (lesbian)scored for Canada, which has won all eight women's titles since the tournament began in 1990. "This has been an unbelievable experience," Canadian team captain Cassie Campbell (lesbian)said. "Our eighth championship in a row, how sweet does that sound?
"This started way back in 1990, the tradition, the passion that we play with. I tell you, everyone in that dressing room was a leader today. We did little things, we didn't make big plays, fancy things, we did the little things and that's why we're on top."
The Canadian team's penalty killers held off the Americans' vaunted power play in the third period, killing off three man advantages.
The U.S. pulled goaltender Pam Dreyer for an extra attacker with less than two minutes remaining, but were unable to score.
But the American players were angry over an apparent missed goal by officials during their third power play of that period.
With about five minutes remaining in the third, American Natalie Darwitz fired a shot that first appeared to go off the crossbar and back out. But television replays showed the puck actually hit the supports behind the crossbar, meaning it should have counted as a goal.
Unfortunately for the U.S., though, none of the game officials had access to the replays because there are no TV replays in this tournament. Instead, if there is a dispute, the game official gets in contact with the goal judge, who makes the final call.
When play ceased, Finnish referee Anu Hirvonen did exactly that, going over to the timekeeper's bench and getting on the phone with the goal judge behind the Canadian net. The judge, a linesman with the International Ice Hockey Federation, obviously felt there was no goal on the play because when Hirvonen hung up, she signalled for a faceoff in the neutral zone rather than pointing to centre ice.
Wickenheiser, who had been held off the scoreboard in her two previous games, took a drop pass from Danielle Goyette just over the blue-line and beat U.S. goaltender Pam Dreyer on a high shot from the top of the faceoff circle at 4:17 of the second.
Collins gave Canada a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into the third period. Dreyer failed to freeze a slow-moving shot from Dana Antal. Collins drove the net and shovelled the puck between Dreyer's pads.
The U.S. had more shots on net in the opening minutes, but Canada patiently worked to move the puck up the ice and gain some scoring chances. The Canadians outshot the Americans 10-9 in the opening frame and 18-14 after two.
Canada had four power plays in the first 40 minutes, but was unable to convert them into goals. Dreyer made three quick saves on Canada's second man advantage to keep the game scoreless after one period.
A sell-out crowd of 10,506 took in the game at the Halifax Metro Centre, generating a thunderous ovation for the Canadian team before the puck dropped. The tournament set an overall attendance record of 94,001, beating the previous mark of 66,783 set at the 1997 women's world championships in Kitchener, Ont.
The U.S. went into the game down two skaters as forward Krissy Wendell, who had injured her knee Monday in a game against Sweden, was scratched from the lineup. The Americans lost forward Shelley Looney to torn knee ligaments last week.
Forward Julie Chu returned to the lineup after a bout with the flu. Captain Cammi Granato played in her second game since injuring her knee last week, but was used sparingly.
Canada, which beat Sweden 7-1 on Sunday, went into the final with an extra day of rest over the Americans, who had played the previous night against the Swedes.
Canada had beaten the U.S. in the finals of all seven previous world championship, but the Americans had won three games in a row against their rival heading into the final.
The U.S. defeated Canada 3-1 in a playoff game Saturday to put an end to the Canadian team's perfect record at the world championship.
Notes - Finland edged Sweden 3-2 for the bronze earlier Tuesday . . . Fourteen players from the Canadian team will be involved in the National Women's Hockey League playoffs starting Thursday in Brampton, Ont.