Canada bounced back on day two of the U-18 World Women’s Hockey Championship, and the United States continued their dominance by earning a spot in the semi-finals.
Here’s a recap of each game and the three stars from Day Two:
Canada – 3 tbsp. Sweden – 1
Canada moved into the win column with 56 shots on Swedish goaltender Lisa Jonsson, who was spectacular in net. Notably, Canada took more shots from home, bringing the pucks to the middle of the ice. Rhea Hicks scored twice, once on a three-on-one and her second, picking up a loose puck on the draw and walking to the slot.
After a rocky start, Sweden settled in and in the third period edged out Canada. Overall, Canada presented a higher paced game. They were quicker on the puck and didn’t give up as many second chances. Captain Nicole Hall had plenty of chances from close range for the Swedes, while her linemate Mira Markstrom showed great creativity with the puck. Their line was the main threat to Sweden.
United States – 5 v Finland – 0
Team USA again looked dominant. The team’s ability to capitalize on movement in the zone, move the puck high and move laterally across the ice to open up passing lanes and create space has driven the offense time and time again. Tessa Janecke scored a game-winning goal, and Laila Edwards continued to quietly dominate her opponents using her vision and strength to reach the net, including scoring the American’s first goal in spades and heading into the net for the final US tally.
A not-to-be-understood aspect of USA’s constant puck control is the strength of their blue line. Sydney Morrow, Grace Dwyer and Laney Potter defend well, but each is capable of single-handedly moving the puck out of their zone.
Finland couldn’t repeat their upset opener but continued to get key contributions from Sanni Vanhanen and captain Anna-Kaisa Anttto-Roiko. Vanhanen in particular was outstanding.
Czechia – 6 v Germany – 2
The Czechs look like the crème de la crème in Group B, and it’s their group driving game forward. Adela Sapovalivova had her second straight three-pointer, this time collecting three assists. Tereza Pistekova and Lucie Gruntova both scored two goals, while Tereza Plosova had one goal and two assists. Gruntova showed excellent deception on her first goal of the game, firing the puck across the lane to open up space for a shot that beat the German goaltender on the short side. Sapovalivova scored a scoring goal in the third and continued to push defenders away with her speed.
Switzerland – 3 v Slovakia – 1
Scoring does not appear to be a common feature of games involving the Swiss or the Slovaks. Zuzana Dobiasova opened the scoring for Slovakia in the first half, but Switzerland responded with Nina Harju equalizing. The match remained at 1-1 until the end of the third when Elena Gaberell played the hero with less than eight minutes left. Switzerland would add a last-minute insurance goal to stay in contention for a quarter-final berth.
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Three stars
1. Tessa Janecke, USA – It will take something spectacular enough for someone to score a goal prettier than Janecke’s first-half scorer. She won a battle, walked the puck down the goal line and backhanded the short side. It was the pace of his shot and his high-end positioning that left jaws dropping. Later in the game, Janecke continued to navigate through danger zones and open up space with her creativity. She has a killer instinct to want the puck and plays with unmistakable tenacity. In the third, Janecke scored again, burying a one-timer from the slot. She finished with four assists on Laila Edwards’ two goals. Edwards was named player of the match and blocked key shots. She could be named a star in every game and is already making her way into the conversation for tournament MVP.
2. Rhea Hicks, Canada – The Canadiens needed someone to step in, and it was Rhea Hicks who came in to play. She was opportunistic using her speed on her first goal of the game to jump into the game and finish a three-on-one. Her second goal of the contest came on a face-off as she spun her Swedish counterpart around the circle, hopped on a loose puck and slid it home. On both, Hicks took advantage of lower body positioning as he dropped to one knee to finish strong. Canada didn’t look as dominant as some predicted, but Rhea Hicks’ performance was enough to lead Team Canada to victory over Sweden.
3. Adela Sapovalivova, Czechia – The tournament’s leading scorer with a pair of three-pointers, Sapavalivova led play for Czechia in hopes of taking her side to the quarter-finals. Against Germany, she set up three of the Czech Republic’s goals, including a spectacular third-period effort as her stomach slid the puck past Tereza Pistokova who scored her second of the game. In Group B, Sapovalivova’s speed is too much for the competition to handle.