🇨🇦 Canada 3-0 Finland 🇫🇮
Women’s World Championship Semifinal
Cloetta Center, Linköping 🇸🇪
Friday, 08 April 2005

Team Canada faced team Finland for the seventh time in a semi final game at the World Women’s Championship. Canada has played Finland once prior to this tournament in an exhibition game in Norrköping on 31 March, Canada won 9-2.

Charline Labonté got her start between the pipes for Canada at the World Championship; her first was a 12-0 victory over Russia. Although Canada carried the majority of the play, they could not convert. Finnish netminder Anna-Kaisa Piiroinen made 6 saves in the opening period, while Canada’s Labonté only faced 2 shots and saved them both.

Canada found itself down 5 on 3 a minute into the second period, but managed to kill it off. Directly after the penalty kill, Canada came back and scored two goals just 47 seconds apart. Hayley Wickenheiser scored her 98th career goal on a missed shot that bounced off the end boards and hit the Finnish netminder in the back of the legs and in.

The second goal started with a 60 foot pass from defenceman Correne Bredin up to Caroline Ouellette, she slid it over to Jayna Hefford and she buried it to put Canada up 2-0. Canada found itself down two men again, but still managed to kill it off. Canada out shot Finland 19-10, but Finland continued to pressure the Canadians forcing Labonté to come up big on a number of saves.

It tool Canada until the eleven minute mark of the third period to register its third goal of the game. Jayna Hefford walked out from behind the net and roofed a backhand shot over the shoulder of Anna-Kaisa Piiroinen. Hefford, Canada’s player of the game, now leads the championship in scoring with 6 goals.

Canada out shot the Finns 49-16, but weren’t able to put up the numbers they had in previous games, largely due to the great goaltending of Anna-Kaisa Piiroinen. The final score (3-0) has historic importance, Canada has set an IIHF World Women’s Championship record by recording four consecutive shut out games.

Canada will face the winner of the USA vs. Sweden game in the Gold Medal Game tomorrow.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
19:22 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Sostorics, interference

2nd Period
20:53 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Apps, charging
23:17 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Wickenheiser
24:04 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Hefford (Ouellette, Bredin)
25:39 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Piper, interference
25:58 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Wickenheiser, elbowing
27:30 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Hoikkala, slashing
30:32 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Reima, interference
32:42 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Tuominen, slashing
37:41 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Botterill, hooking

3rd Period
51:26 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Hefford (Botterill)
59:03 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Wickenheiser, slashing
59:03 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Pelttari, roughing

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇦 Labonté (16-16)
L: 🇫🇮 Piiroinen (38-41)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 6+21+14 = 41
🇫🇮 2+10+4 = 16

ROSTERS
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Charline Labonté, Kim St-Pierre. Defence: Correne Bredin, Delaney Collins, Becky Kellar, Carla MacLeod, Cheryl Pounder, Colleen Sostorics. Forwards: Gillian Apps, Kelly Bechard, Jennifer Botterill, Cassie Campbell, Danielle Goyette, Jayna Hefford, Gina Kingsbury, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Vicky Sunohara, Sarah Vaillancourt, Hayley Wickenheiser.
🇫🇮 Goaltenders: Anna-Kaisa Piiroinen, Noora Räty. Defence: Jenni Hiirikoski, Satu Kiipeli, Kati Kovalainen, Emma Laaksonen, Terhi Mertanen, Heidi Pelttari, Saija Sirviö. Forwards: Sari Fisk, Satu Hoikkala, Vilja Lipsonen, Oona Parviainen, Karoliina Rantamäki, Tiia Reima, Katja Riipi, Mari Saarinen, Eveliina Similä, Nora Tallus, Saara Tuominen.

Article Credit: Hockey Canada
Photo Credit: Getty Images – IIHF – HHOF – IOC