Minnesota-Duluth senior Caroline Ouellette earned Player of the Game honors for Canada and Harvard junior Julie Chu earned the same for the U.S. in their respective teams’ second wins of round-robin competition at the World Women’s Championships in Sweden. Current U.S. collegians have won every such award so far for the U.S. and Canada in the tournament.
The U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland all clinched berths in the tournament semifinals by improving to 2-0 in the round-robin. On Wednesday the U.S. plays Finland, and Canada plays Sweden with semifinal round seeding at stake.
4/5: U.S. 7, Germany 0
Chu’s goal at 3:19 of the first period led off a remarkable run of three U.S. goals in just 13 seconds. The U.S. led 5-0 at the first intermission and added goals in each of the final two periods. Katie King (Brown ’97) and Minnesota senior Kelly Stephens were the top scorers for the U.S. with two goals and an assist each, and Jenny Potter (UMD ’04) had three assists. The U.S. outshot Germany 37-15. Chanda Gunn (Northeastern ’04), with six saves, and Megan Van Beusekom (Princeton ’04), with nine saves, combined for the shutout.
4/5: Finland 5, China 1
Despite outshooting China 43-14 in the win, Finland actually trailed 1-0 six minutes into the second period before scoring four unanswered goals entering the second intermission. UMD sophomore Anna Kaisa-Piiroinen made 13 saves in net, and UMD senior Nora Tallus assisted on the Finn’s third goal.
4/4: Canada 12, Russia 0
Canada had just one goal at the first intermission before adding four goals in the second period and seven in the third. Ouellette led all scorers with a goal and four assists. Dartmouth junior Gillian Apps and Jennifer Botterill (Harvard ’03) were among seven Canadians with multi-point nights. Harvard freshman Sarah Vaillancourt’s goal left her tied with Ouellette for the tournament lead in scoring. Canada outshot the Russians 46-7.
4/4: Sweden 5, Kazakhstan 1
Host Sweden had failed on 58 shots entering the second intermission against Kazakh goalie Natalya Trunova, before 2001 Frozen Four MVP Maria Rooth (UMD ’03) came to the rescue and scored the first and third Swedish goals. Sweden outshot Kazakhstan 76-5.
