🇺🇸 United States 5-1 Sweden 🇸🇪
Four Nations Cup Preliminary Round
SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon 🇨🇦
Friday, 09 November 2018

Nine different U.S. skaters registered points as the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Sweden, 5-1, here tonight in its final preliminary round game of the 2018 Four Nations Cup at SaskTel Centre.

“Systematically, this was definitely our best game so far,” said Bob Corkum, U.S. Women’s National Team head coach. “Tomorrow, the key will be to stick with our game plan and hopefully we’ll have a good result.”

The U.S. Women’s National Team (3-0-0-0) advances to the championship game, which will be held tomorrow at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

The U.S. opened the scoring 4:25 into the first period when Sydney Brodt gathered a rebound off a Kendall Coyne Schofield shot and beat Swedish goaltender Emma Soderberg to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead.

After a high-sticking penalty put Sweden on the power play, Melissa Samoskevich scored her first goal as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Samoskevich stole the puck from a Swedish defender on the U.S. blue line and raced down the ice before beating Soderberg on the blocker side for Team USA’s first shorthanded goal of the tournament.

With 40 seconds remaining in the opening period, Hilary Knight sent a pass from behind the net to Hannah Brandt who was streaking into the slot. Winning a puck battle near the top of the crease, Brandt converted to bring the lead to 3-0 for the U.S.

Two minutes into the middle frame, Brianna Decker stepped around two Swedish defenders and tallied a power-play goal high blocker-side to increase the U.S. lead to four.

Sweden broke through halfway through the second period when Sabina Küller’s wrist shot beat Emma Polusny to make the score 4-1.

The U.S. increased its lead to four 8:11 into the final period when Brandt won a face-off back to Dani Cameranesi who was waiting at the top of the circle to rip a one-timer past Soderberg, securing the 5-1 victory for Team USA.

Polusny made 19 saves on 20 shots in her first career start with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

NOTES: The U.S. outshot Sweden, 40-20…Samoskevich was named the U.S. Player of the Game…The Four Nations Cup is an annual tournament that has been held in varying forms since 1996 (previously the Three Nations Cup). The U.S. is competing against Canada, Sweden and Finland in this year’s tournament. The U.S. has captured the Four Nations Cup title eight times (1997, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017), finished second 12 times and third in the 2013 tournament. The U.S. holds an overall record of 51-5-5-23-2 in 86 Three / Four Nations Cup games.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
04:25 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Brodt (Coyne)
08:10 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Decker, high sticking
08:54 – 🇺🇸 SH GOAL – Samoskevich (Marvin)
15:26 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Adolfsson, body checking
19:20 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Brandt (Knight)

2nd Period
21:45 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Cameranesi, holding
22:00 – 🇺🇸 PP GOAL – Decker (Morin)
26:49 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Küller (Nylén-Persson)
29:58 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Küller, body checking

3rd Period
43:44 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Bellamy, body checking
48:11 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Cameranesi (Knight)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇺🇸 Polusny (19-20)
L: 🇸🇪 Söderberg (35-40)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇺🇸 17+15+8 = 40
🇸🇪 5+5+9 = 20

ROSTERS
🇺🇸 Goaltenders: Emma Polusny, Maddie Rooney. Defence: Cayla Barnes, Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Kali Flanagan, Mikaela Gardner, Megan Keller, Sidney Morin, Emily Pfalzer. Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Sydney Brodt, Dani Cameranesi, Kendall Coyne, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Caitrin Lonergan, Gigi Marvin, Annie Pankowski, Kelly Pannek, Melissa Samoskevich.
🇸🇪 Goaltenders: Lovisa Selander, Emma Söderberg. Defence: Jessica Adolfsson, Emmy Alasalmi, Sofia Engström, Nathalie Ferno, Josefine Holmgren (A), Maja Nylén-Persson, Mina Waxin. Forwards: Olivia Carlsson, Erika Grahm (A), Sara Hjalmarsson, Lisa Johansson, Sabina Küller, Lina Ljungblom, Emma Nordin (C), Hanna Olsson, Isabell Palm, Fanny Rask, Celine Tedenby, Pernilla Winberg.

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