🇺🇸 United States 10-0 Switzerland 🇨🇭
Women’s World Championship Semifinal
Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington 🇺🇸
Friday, 13 April 2012

The United States advanced to the Gold medal game of the 2012 Women’s Worlds with a commanding 10-0 win over Switzerland.

Their skating, skills, and speed were simply far beyond the abilities of the Swiss players, and only incredible goaltending from Florence Schelling kept the score as close as it was. Shots were 80-10 for the U.S., Schelling facing 68 and stopping all but nine. Most were close-in chances.

Thirteen skaters had points for the Americans. Josephine Pucci led the way with a goal and three assists while Kendall Coyne and Gigi Marvin had a goal and two assists. Kelli Stack had two of the ten goals. “We just keep it simple and play our level and keep the tempo high,” said Jenny Potter. “It’s a challenge sometimes keeping as sharp as we need to be.”

The Swiss story has yet to be written, however, as the team still has a chance to win an historic first Bronze medal. They’ll play Finland tomorrow for the final place on the podium.

The Americans scored three times in the first period and could have scored ten times but for Schelling who made one incredible save after another. Still, Kelli Stack scored two lovely goals early on to get the Americans rolling, the first on a nice wrist shot from point-blank range, the second a great deke while the U.S. was short-handed.

Brianna Decker got a third goal later, converting a great pass to the back side by Amanda Kessel. Shots in the first period were 31-2, a clear indication of the levels of the two teams.

Julie Chu, Kessel, and Gigi Marvin added goals in the second, another period dominated overwhelmingly by the home side.

Midway through the third, with the score now 9-0, coach René Kammerer lifted Schelling and inserted backup Sophie Anthamatten. By this time Schelling had faced 68 shots. Given how many shots she’s faced this tournament, coupled with the fact that the Swiss would play for a medal less than 24 hours later, it was a wise decision to give Schelling an early rest.

“We had a little breakdown within the team and I think we changed goalies just to try to get a little momentum back,” Schelling said. “I’m disappointed I didn’t play the whole game, but it was better for the team. But after that many shots, my body feels a little tired.”

“We have confidence,” Potter said of the impending Gold medal showdown, “knowing we can beat them, but Canada is a great team. We maybe had a few lucky bounces in the first game (a 9-2 win). They’ll come out ready to play, and we have to do the same.”

BOXSCORE
1st Period
02:29 – 🇨🇭 PEN – M. Waidacher, tripping
02:52 – 🇺🇸 PP GOAL – Stack (Marvin, J. Lamoureux)
07:31 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Chu, hooking
09:09 – 🇺🇸 SH GOAL – Stack
16:41 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Decker (Kessel, Coyne)

2nd Period
22:16 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Chu (Knight, Marvin)
29:01 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Coyne (Kessel, Pucci)
32:03 – 🇺🇸 PEN – M. Lamoureux, hooking
34:32 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Stiefel, tripping
35:13 – 🇺🇸 PP GOAL – Marvin

3rd Period
41:47 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Frautschi, tripping
44:56 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Bozek (Kessel, Coyne)
45:24 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Pucci (Chu, Chesson)
45:45 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Lawler (Pucci)
46:12 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Pucci, tripping
49:31 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – J. Lamoureux (Picard, Pucci)
59:24 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Lehmann, body checking

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇺🇸 Schaus (10-10)
L: 🇨🇭 Schelling (59-68), Anthamatten (11-12)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇺🇸 31+24+25 = 80
🇨🇭 2+5+3 = 10

ROSTERS
🇺🇸 Goaltenders: Molly Schaus, Jessie Vetter. Defence: Kacey Bellamy (A), Megan Bozek, Lisa Chesson, Gigi Marvin, Michelle Picard, Josephine Pucci, Anne Schleper. Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Julie Chu (C), Kendall Coyne, Brianna Decker, Jillian Dempsey, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Erika Lawler, Jenny Schmidgall (A), Kelli Stack.
🇨🇭 Goaltenders: Sophie Anthamatten, Florence Schelling. Defence: Nicole Bullo (A), Sarah Forster, Angela Frautschi, Julia Marty (A), Rahel Michielin, Johanna Vuille-dit-Bille, Sabrina Zollinger. Forwards: Andrea Fischer, Kathrin Lehmann (C), Darcia Leimgruber, Stefanie Marty, Katrin Nabholz, Evelina Raselli, Phoebe Stanz, Martina Steck, Anja Stiefel, Monika Waidacher, Nina Waidacher.

Article Credit: IIHF
Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald – IIHF – HHOF – IOC