🇨🇦 Canada 8-0 Germany 🇩🇪
Women’s World Championship Preliminary Round
MTS Centre, Winnipeg 🇨🇦
Thursday, 05 April 2007

Canadian fans went home happy Thursday night after the host team’s resounding 8-0 victory over Germany to close out the Preliminary Round. For the second straight game, “O Canada” was played at the MTS Centre.

The win earned Canada top spot in Group B. Its next game comes in the Playoff Round on 07 April against the Americans, whose lopsided victory over China made them tops in Group A.

“I think we almost get into a new tournament now, with the US coming up on Saturday,” said captain Hayley Wickenheiser. “And what’s coming up will be a lot tougher out on the ice.”

Wickenheiser paced Canada with three goals and an assist, and Jennifer Botterill had two goals. Danielle Goyette notched a goal and two assists. Gina Kingsbury and Katie Weatherston added singles, while Meghan Agosta chipped in two helpers.

It was no wonder that Viona Harrer, the 20-year-old German goalie, was chosen as her team’s Player of the Game, even though she was pulled late in the proceedings. Canada fired a whopping 70 shots on goal, just shy of the National Team record of 73 in international competition (21 April 1992 versus Denmark and 08 March 1999 versus Switzerland). Harrer got a long standing ovation from the fans.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Harrer. “I was crying. I think it was one of my best games. There was no pressure because you know you can’t do anything wrong, because they will score, so you just play.”

“I give her a lot of credit,” said Wickenheiser of Harrer. “She hung in there. She played a very brave game. They were outshot badly, but I think the crowd said it all.”

Delaney Collins, meanwhile, earned the honours as Canada’s Player of the Game.

Kim St-Pierre, making her first tournament start in goal for Canada, had to make just five saves for her 12th career shutout in IIHF World Championship and Olympic play.

The most notable downside for Canada was its inability to convert on the power play even though the Germans took seven minors.

“We were a little up and down,” Wickenheiser admitted. “They play the trap style, so they clog it up, and it’s really frustrating for you. I think all in all, for a game like that, we played pretty well.”

To the delight of the crowd, Canada opened the scoring at 2:27 when Winnipeg’s Jennifer Botterill walked in front of the net and slid a backhander through Harrer’s legs.

“It’s amazing the crowd had so much energy,” said Botterill. “It makes it so enjoyable for everyone on our team.”

Wickenheiser made it 2-0 just 36 seconds later when she took a pass from Meghan Agosta in the faceoff circle to Harrer’s right and beat the lunging goalie on the stick side.

Germany then successfully killed off a Canadian 5-on-3 man advantage, and got a little sustained pressure on a power play of its own after Sarah Vaillancourt went off for hooking at 12:20. Still, the territorial advantage overwhelmingly belonged to Canada, which outshot Germany 21-3 in the first 20 minutes.

At 2:40, Gina Kingsbury worked a give-and-go with Vicky Sunohara to perfection, as Sunohara dished the puck from behind on the line on to the stick of Kingsbury, who scored through the German goalie’s pads for a 3-0 Canadian lead.

Fifteen seconds later, Gillian Apps thought she’d given her team a four-goal goal on a clearcut break, but the play was called back on the offside.

Canada kept Germany’s Harrer incredibly busy as the period approached its midpoint, with Delaney Collins hammering a slapper high off the post. Then Jayna Hefford was hauled down from behind at 13:38 and awarded a penalty shot. She tried a leg kick followed by a backhand deke, but the German goalie didn’t bite on the move. Less than a minute later, Harrer blocked Agosta’s close-in attempt to convert a centering pass.

At 16:20, Wickenheiser finally made it 4-0 after a shooting gallery in the German end, getting wide-open near the high slot and zinging the puck over Harrer. A minute later, Goyette could have extended the Canadian lead, but Harrer’s outstretched arm blocked the backhander along the ice. When the siren sounded to end the second period, shots were 51-4 for Canada.

Unassisted, Wickenheiser completed her hat trick 54 seconds into the final stanza, cruising into the slot and powering a slapshot high past Harrer’s blocker.

At 14:04, Botterill made it 6-0 Canada when she got a 2-on-0 break with Sarah Vaillancourt and converted the give-and-go.

At 14:52, it was 7-0 when Katie Weatherston knifed a backhand through Harrer’s legs. That was it for Harrer, who earned a much-deserved rest, and was replaced between the pipes by Jennifer Harss. Just under a minute later, Agosta fed Goyette right in front for the 8-0 goal.

The atmosphere was noisy and upbeat, with the crowd decked out in a mix of red Canadian jerseys and “Whiteout” gear and equipped with noisemaker sticks.

During a pre-game ceremony, the 10,715 in attendance cheered when Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, and Danielle Goyette were presented with special commemorative silver sticks for being the only Canadian women ever to score 100 career international goals. A video tribute to all three stars with memories and reflections from their teammates was also well-received.

“It was really nice,” said Wickenheiser. “A hundred goals may not seem like a lot by NHL standards, but when you only play 10 games or so in a year with the national team, it’s a pretty good accomplishment.”

Canada has never lost to Germany at the IIHF World Women’s Championships, previously winning 17-0 in 1990, 13-0 in 1999, and 13-0 in 2004.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
02:27 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Botterill (Ouellette)
03:03 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Wickenheiser (Agosta, Goyette)
04:35 – 🇩🇪 PEN – Grundmann, hooking
05:19 – 🇩🇪 PEN – Evers, interference
12:20 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Vaillancourt, hooking
16:23 – 🇩🇪 PEN – Holmes, interference

2nd Period
22:40 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Kingsbury (Sunohara)
26:00 – 🇩🇪 PEN – S. Fellner, interference
28:47 – 🇩🇪 PEN – S. Fellner, tripping
31:20 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Bonhomme, elbowing
31:43 – 🇩🇪 PEN – Grundmann, holding
33:38 – 🇨🇦 PEN SHOT – Hefford missed
36:20 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Wickenheiser (Goyette)
37:11 – 🇩🇪 PEN – Kresse, cross checking

3rd Period
40:54 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Wickenheiser
48:46 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Collins, cross checking
51:51 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Botterill, slashing
54:04 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Botterill (Vaillancourt)
54:52 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Weatherston
55:51 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Goyette (Agosta, Wickenheiser)
57:51 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Bechard, interference

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇦 St-Pierre (5-5)
L: 🇩🇪 Harrer (61-68), Harss (1-2)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 21+30+19 = 70
🇩🇪 3+1+1 = 5

ROSTERS
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Charline Labonté, Kim St-Pierre. Defence: Tessa Bonhomme, Delaney Collins, Gillian Ferrari, Carla MacLeod, Cheryl Pounder, Colleen Sostorics. Forwards: Meghan Agosta, Gillian Apps, Kelly Bechard, Jennifer Botterill, Danielle Goyette, Jayna Hefford, Gina Kingsbury, Caroline Ouellette, Vicky Sunohara, Sarah Vaillancourt, Katie Weatherston, Hayley Wickenheiser.
🇩🇪 Goaltenders: Viona Harrer, Jennifer Harss. Defence: Christina Fellner, Susanne Fellner, Claudia Grundmann, Sabrina Kruck, Carina Spuhler, Jenny Tamas. Forwards: Maritta Becker, Monika Bittner, Franziska Busch, Bettina Evers, Susann Götz, Nikola Holmes, Miriam Kresse, Andrea Lanzl, Michaela Lanzl, Anja Scheytt, Sara Seiler, Denise Soesilo.

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