๐จ๐ฆ Canada 3-2 United States ๐บ๐ธ
Olympicย Preliminary Round
Shayba Arena, Sochi ๐ท๐บ
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
A goal and assist from Hayley Wickenheiser in the third gave Canada a 3-2 win over the U.S. and earn home-team status for Canada in a possible Gold-medal game.
Meghan Agosta, celebrating her 27th birthday, had two goals for the winners as Canada stretched its Olympics winning streak to 18 games.
Canada is also now 9-4 in one-goal games against the U.S. in top-level IIHF competition.
Both teams have already qualified directly into the semi-finals and will have to wait four days before playing again against opponents TBD.
Wickenheiser is the all-time points leader in games between Canada and the U.S. (Olympics and World Championships combined), with 18 in 23 games. The 23 games is also a record (tied with Jayna Hefford). Wickenheiser is also the career leader with 11 assists and tied for top spot with 7 goals (with Nancy Drolet and Hefford).
“There’s always a lot of pride on the line when we play the U.S.,” Wickenheiser said. “Nobody wants to give an edge to the other. It feels like a big game every time we play because we’re the two best teams in the sport.”
The win gives Canada a 3-0 record to the Americans’ 2-1 record, giving Canada the superior record in the preliminary round and the right to be home team – with last change – if it makes it to the Gold-medal game.
Both goalies were excellent and made several goal-saving stops to keep the score close throughout.
The strategy and game playing that went on in the first period alone was riveting, even though it didnโt see one puck cross the goal line. Canadaโs coach Kevin Dineen, with last change as home team, matched the Marie-Philip Poulin – Jayna Hefford – Rebecca Johnston line most shifts against the top American line of Amanda Kessel – Kendall Coyne – Briane Decker.
The result was an ineffective U.S. trio for the most part. As well, Dineen had his players use the full sheet of ice. Guess what? Maybe Canada is just as fast as the Americans? Canada passed east-west and north-south through the middle with incredible effectiveness, the wingers blowing to the outside around the American defencemen and a torpedo-kind of long passing up the middle catching their opponents off guard.
In the end, both goalies were solid and the defence almost letter perfect. Slight advantage Canada, but this was only the first of six expected periods between the two teams in the next week and as such the least important.
If the first period was establishing a strategy, the second was about a glorious up-and-down exchange of chances. Both goalies were sensational, Labontรฉ stoning Brianna Decker on a breakaway and Vetter matching with a great pad save off Gillian Apps.
Labontรฉ came back with another breakaway save off Lyndsey Fry, who was the beneficiary of a Laura Fortino giveaway at the U.S. blue line on a power play.
And then on a power play of their own, the Americans struck. Anne Schleperโs quick shot from the slot was re-directed by Hilary Knight in front, and just like that the U.S., which had been neutralized much of the game, had the crucial 1-0 lead.
Canada came out with purpose to start the third and tied the game early on its own power play. Wickenheiser got a loose puck by the left faceoff dot and found Meghan Agosta to the back side for the easy tap in at 2:21.
“We knew we just needed one goal, and we could get that on any shift from any line,” Wickenheiser noted. “We just had to stay with it, and nobody was panicking.”
Less than two minutes later, Wickenheiser put Canada ahead when her shot from in close squeezed through the pads of Vetter and over the goal line. It appeared the whistle might have sounded before the puck crossed the line, but referee Anna Eskola consulted with the video-goal judge who confirmed the score.
“There was a whistle on the ice, definitely,” said Hilary Knight. “We play to the whistle. Thatโs why a lot of the U.S. players stopped. Unfortunately, I donโt know if they have audio on the review, but that was not the right way for us to go out…I was right there on the ice. I heard it. But I guess youโve got to play through the whistle, right?”
Agosta made it a 3-1 game when she collected a loose puck at her blue line and had a clear break, beating Vetter between the pads at 14:55.
It wasn’t until near the end of the period the Americans regsitered their first shot, finishing with only three in the final 20 minutes.
With Vetter on the bench, Schleper’s long shot fooled Labontรฉ. It trickled off the goalie’s glove and in at 18:55 to make it 3-2, but the U.S. couldn’t get near the Canadian goal in the final minute.
In the end, the Decker line had only seven of the U.S.’s 27 shots and were well neutralized by Canada’s checking, but the real test will be a gold-medal showdown–if both teams make it that far.
The appetizer was delicious. Now fans are hoping the main course is just as delectable.
BOXSCORE
1st Period
04:37 – ๐บ๐ธย PEN – J. Lamoureux, tripping
10:59 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Ouellette, holding
17:47 – ๐บ๐ธย PEN – Decker, body checking
2nd Period
32:27 – ๐บ๐ธย PEN – Duggan, interference
32:52 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Johnston, roughing
36:57 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Rougeau, body checking
37:34 – ๐บ๐ธย PP GOAL – Knight (Carpenter, Schleper)
3rd Period
40:53 – ๐บ๐ธย PEN – Decker, tripping
42:21 – ๐จ๐ฆย PP GOAL – Agosta (Wickenheiser)
43:54 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – Wickenheiser (Spooner, Agosta)
51:59 – ๐บ๐ธย PEN – Pucci, hooking
54:55 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – Agosta
58:55 – ๐บ๐ธย EA GOAL – Schleper (Decker, J. Lamoureux)
59:29 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – team, too many players
GOALTENDERS
W:ย ๐จ๐ฆย Labontรฉย (25-27)
L: ๐บ๐ธย Vetter (28-31)
SHOTS ON GOAL
๐จ๐ฆ 8+11+12 = 31
๐บ๐ธ 11+13+3 = 27
ROSTERS
๐จ๐ฆ Goaltenders: Charline Labontรฉ, Shannon Szabados. Defence: Laura Fortino, Jocelyne Larocque, Meaghan Mikkelson, Lauriane Rougeau, Catherine Ward, Tara Watchorn. Forwards: Meghan Agosta, Gillian Apps, Mรฉlodie Daoust, Jayna Hefford (A), Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Johnston, Caroline Ouellette (C), Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Jennifer Wakefield, Hayley Wickenheiser (A).
๐บ๐ธ Goaltenders:ย Brianneย McLaughlin, Jessie Vetter. Defence: Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Gigiย Marvin, Michelle Picard, Josephine Pucci, Anne Schleper, Lee Stecklein. Forwards: Alexandra Carpenter, Julie Chu, Kendall Coyne, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan (C), Lyndsey Fry, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Kelli Stack.
๐จ๐ฆ CANADA | vs. | UNITED STATES (C) ๐บ๐ธ |
new champion (previous 12 Dec 2013) |
Last Title | reign ends (since 12 Dec 2013) |
198 | All-Time Wins |
97 |
70 wins | Head-To-Head (+ 1 tie) |
48 wins |
First IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. USA) ๐จ๐ฆ CAN 2-1 USA ๐บ๐ธ โ 21 Apr 1987 โ WWT โ North York ๐จ๐ฆ |
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Previous IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. USA) ๐บ๐ธ USA 3-2 CAN ๐จ๐ฆ โ 30 Dec 2013 โ EX โ Toronto ๐จ๐ฆ |
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Last IHLC Game ๐บ๐ธย USA 9-0 SUI ๐จ๐ญ โ 10 Feb 2014 โ OG โ Sochi ๐ท๐บ |
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Next IHLC Game ๐จ๐ฆย CAN 3-1 SUI ๐จ๐ญ โ 17 Feb 2014 โ OG โ Sochi ๐ท๐บ |
Article Credit: Sochi 2014
Photo Credit: Sochi 2014ย –ย IIHF – HHOF – IOC