🇺🇸 United States 7-0 Russia 🇷🇺
Women’s World Championship Preliminary Round
USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth 🇺🇸
Saturday, 01 April 2017

Team USA scored three goals in the second period–two by Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson–en route to an impressive 7-0 win over Russia.

The theme of the day was quick, crisp passes and nice touch around the goal. Kendall Coyne and Brianna Decker had two goals and two assists each while Monique Lamoureux chipped in with three assists.

Maddie Rooney, making her first career start in goal for Team USA, made 14 saves to record the shutout.

“It’s so much different than college,” a beaming Rooney said. “It was really exciting. I just loved it out there. When you don’t have so many shots, it’s important to try to stay focused, and I think I did that.”

“We know if we move our feet and get going a lot of teams can’t keep up with us,” Decker said. “All our lines are moving the puck well and getting shots on net.”

The win gives the U.S. six points to top the Group A standings and virtually assures the team of a bye directly to the semi-finals next week.

Russia falls to 1-1 and has three points in Group A. But for a bit of luck and touch around the opposition goal, though, this might have been a different game. The Americans were their usual speedy selves, but they did allow several odd-man rushes and good scoring chances to the Russians.

“We had a bit of a slow start but picked it up in the second and third,” Coyne admitted. “We worked together as a team and it was a fun game to play.”

“We have to learn from this and play better the next game,” Russian Iya Gavrilova said. “We still have a long way to go in this tournament.”

The Russians started the game by clogging up the middle of the ice, and for most of the opening period that strategy worked. Momentum changed near the end of the period, though. Russia had a two-man advantage for 1:29 but could do nothing with it, and soon after the Americans returned to full strength drew first blood.

The goal came at 18:37 thanks to Amanda Kessel. Monique Lamoureux had a clear break and was stopped by Maria Sorokina, but Kessel followed up on the play and jabbed the rebound home.

The second period was loaded with action and plays around the goals. Olga Sosina set up Yekaterina Smolentseva for a great chance alone, but Rooney squeezed the pads and made a nice save. Soon after, Gavrilova was also denied by the goalie off an odd-man rush.

The Americans increased their lead at 12:08 on a similar pass-and-shoot combination. Brianna Decker came in on the rush and made a nice dish to the middle for Coyne. Coyne made no mistake, burying the puck for a 2-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, Lamoureux-Davidson wired a great shot over Sorokina’s glove, making up for a great toe save by the goalie on her a short time earlier.

Nina Pirogova had a clear break soon after, but she was thwarted by Rooney, who wasn’t always busy but who was tested by tough shots all the same.

“We had a lot of chances that period,” Gavrilova said. “It would have been nice to put a couple in. It would have been a different game. We played well in the first as well, but we have to play more disciplined.”

The Americans salted the game away with a fourth goal with only 28.3 seconds left in the middle period, Lamoureux-Davidson making a nice deke before tucking the puck into the open cage.

Brianna Decker added a fifth goal at 9:15 of the third, this off another fine pass from Hilary Knight to set up the clear shot.

Coyne and Decker added their second goals in the final minute to boost the final tally.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
07:09 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Shukina, tripping
09:09 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Shibanova, hooking
13:27 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Decker, hooking
16:04 – 🇺🇸 PEN – team, too many players
16:35 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Bellamy, tripping
18:37 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Kessel (M. Lamoureux, Decker)

2nd Period
22:16 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Shukina, slashing
22:28 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Keller, roughing
32:08 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Coyne (Decker, Bellamy)
33:04 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – J. Lamoureux (Kessel, Keller)
38:54 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Vafina, interference
39:37 – 🇺🇸 PP GOAL – J. Lamoureux (Coyne, M. Lamoureux)

3rd Period
49:15 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Decker (Knight)
59:39 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Coyne (Knight, M. Lamoureux)
59:53 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Decker (Bellamy, Coyne)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇺🇸 Rooney (14-14)
L: 🇷🇺 Sorokina (27-34)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇺🇸 12+12+10 = 34
🇷🇺 4+7+3 = 14

ROSTERS
🇺🇸 Goaltenders: Nicole Hensley, Maddie Rooney. Defence: Kacey Bellamy (A), Megan Bozek, Kali Flanagan, Megan Keller, Monique Lamoureux (A), Emily Pfalzer, Lee Stecklein. Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan (C), Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin, Kelly Pannek, Amanda Pelkey, Haley Skarupa, Kelli Stack.
🇷🇺 Goaltenders: Nadezhda Morozova, Mariya Sorokina. Defence: Maria Batalova, Liana Ganeyeva, Angelina Goncharenko, Yekaterina Lobova, Nina Pirogova, Anna Shibanova, Anna Shukina. Forwards: Lyudmila Belyakova, Yelena Dergachyova (A), Yevgeniya Dyupina, Iya Gavrilova (A), Fanuza Kadirova, Lidia Malyavko, Elina Mitrofanova, Alevtina Shtaryova, Anna Shokhina, Galina Skiba, Yekaterina Smolentseva, Olga Sosina (C), Alexandra Vafina.

Article Credit: 2017 Women’s World Championship
Photo Credit: 2017 Women’s World Championship – IIHF – HHOF – IOC