Canada, USA, Hungary, Sweden start strong at the Women’s World Championships
The 2022 Women’s World Cup opened on Thursday with a pair of matches in both Group A and Group B. It was a mix of established stars including Marie-Philip Poulin and Amanda Kessel who showed dominance, mixed with the emergence of new stars including USA’s Taylor Heise. The lone upset came in Group B with Hungary winning over Germany.
Here’s a look at the opening day matchups:
USA gives Japan a lopsided loss
We knew this World Cup would be a mix of veteran contributions for the USA, and a coming-out party for some of the country’s most accomplished up and comers. That’s exactly how game one played out, with the USA outscoring Japan 62-6 in a 10-0 rout.
The speed and skill of NCAA standout and Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise proved too much for the opposition. She swarmed the puck and created space for her teammates to put up five goals. Veterans including Alex Carpenter, Amanda Kessell and Kendall Coyne Schofield all had three points in the win.
Despite the veteran leadership, it was hard not to notice the playmaking and pace of Heise, who was named the USA Player of the Year. In particular, the USA’s eighth goal saw Heise spin near the blue line to maintain control before flipping a backhand pass to Alex Carpenter who found space in the slot to score.
Japan’s player of the game was captain Shiori Koike.
Balanced attack helps Canada top Finland
Familiar names saw the highlight for Canada in a 4-1 victory for one of the tournament favorites over a Finnish team that many expect to compete for bronze.
Sarah Nurse, the leading scorer from the 2022 Olympics, got Canada on the board first, redirecting a hard pass from Marie-Philip Poulin in the high slot on the power play. Finland equalized shortly after, but Poulin buried a chance of her own to make it 2-1 in the first.
However, the key play of the opening frame happened in the dying seconds. Canadian goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens dropped her cover and stretched Finland’s Kiira Yrjanen on a penalty shot to make a key save and preserve Canada’s lead, a lead that would prove crucial heading into the final 40 minutes.
In the second period, Canadian defenseman Meaghan Mikkelson slid down to the crease and dunked a puck. It was her first goal in her first appearance with Canada since the 2018 Olympics. Blayre Turnbull later added an empty net goal to give Canada the 4-1 victory.
Hungary upsets Germany
Hungary proved up to the challenge of competing in the highest level of the World Cup, immediately upsetting Germany 4-2 to open Group B action.
The Germans jumped out to a quick two-goal lead thanks to Laura Kluge and Luisa Welcke. After the break, Hungary, who had already outshot the Germans 9-5 in the opening frame, finally found the back of the net. Hungarian blueliner Franciska Kiss-Simon scored a pair, taking a shot over the glove and then over the blocker from the point later to tie the game at 2-2.
Kinga Jokai-Szilagyi, who was second in team points at the 2021 World Cup, gave Hungary the lead with a shorthanded marker after a giveaway from the German netminder. Hungary would later add an empty netter to secure the win, a huge moment for Hungarian women’s hockey.
Sweden knocks off host Denmark
With nearly 1,500 fans on hand to watch hosts Denmark take on European rivals Sweden, the arena was electrified early on when Denmark’s Emma Russell scored to open the game for the Danes. It didn’t last long, however, as Sweden cruised to a 5-2 victory.
Just 30 seconds after Russell scored, Sweden’s Hanna Olsson scored her first back-to-back goal of the game to take control for Sweden. Maja Nylen Persson scored the third goal for the Swedes, who peppered Danish netminder Cassandra Repstock-Romme throughout the match.
In the third, the teams switched goals, but Sweden inevitably increased their lead on the power play thanks to Olsson’s hat trick marker. Young blueliner Mira Jungaker had a pair of assists for Sweden in the 5-2 win.
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Three stars from day one
1. Taylor Heise, F (USA) – Heise immediately made a name for himself in the US senior national team and helped set up five goals. She controlled the puck, showed patience and dished effectively when her teammates entered open ice. An impressive debut for the 22-year-old. Tournament MVP at the 2018 U-18 World Championship, Heise is already showing that her game can carry over to the next level.
2. Marie-Philip Poulin, K (CAN) – Canada’s top player against Finland, Poulin displayed the trademark qualities that make her the best in the game. On the power play, she fed a shot pass right to Sarah Nurse’s tape for a tip to open the scoring, then tallied the game-winning goal herself later in the first. Throughout the game, her patience in zone entries and ability to vary her own offense created chances. She still looks to be playing at a level above the competition.
3. Anni Keisala, G (FIN) – With 43 shots, it could have gone much worse for the Finns against Canada without Keisela hitting the back of the net. Many questioned the Finnish direction when she replaced Noora Raty ahead of the 2021 World Cup. Keisala responded by being named the best goalkeeper of the tournament and has continued her stellar play. She stopped several point blank chances by the Canadians and slowed Finland down as they repeatedly found themselves in their own end. Despite the loss, Keisala is off to an excellent start.