Women’s World U18 kicks off for real today. U.S. plays Sweden this morning, puck drop at 9:00 a.m. our time. Can watch on NHL network. Not sure if there are other streaming options. More stuff than you probably need to know here……….
Canada plays Finland at 1:00 p.m.. That game is available on ESPN+. Gopher recruits on Canada are Gracie Graham (wearing number 25) and goaltender Hannah Clark (wearing number 30).
Lindsay got the first goal when trying to jump out of the way of a shot and the puck hit her. Klepinger got credit for a primary when Scannell made a nice individual effort for the 5-3 goal.
Not a future Gopher, but that American goalie, Bergmann, is very impressive. US defense had a couple of breakdowns and she made sure the Swedes didn't get any closer after the US took the lead.
Canada toyed with Finland to the tune of 8-0 in the other top division game. I believe the shots were 48-9. Gracie Graham had a goal and an assist. Having also seen her play three games at the Super Rink in October I think the staff has what should be a solid player. Great size, solid defensively and enough skill to chip in on offense on occasion.
The big prize on her team (Rink Academy-Kelowna) is a young (sophomore) defensive player named Chloe Primerano. She would have easily made this Canada team if they took players two years under the limit.
My second fun fact of the week: The Canadian coach at this tournament, Courtney (Birchard) Kessel is the sister-in-law of Phil and Amanda. She is married to Blake Kessel. They both played hockey at New Hampshire.
Canada beats Sweden 4-2. Gopher recruit Hannah Clark gives up two goals on 45 shots. Sweden outshoots Canada 45-31 as powerplays were 14-6 in favor of the Swedes. U.S. and Canada meet on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on NHL Network.
Canada beats Sweden 4-2. Gopher recruit Hannah Clark gives up two goals on 45 shots. Sweden outshoots Canada 45-31 as powerplays were 14-6 in favor of the Swedes. U.S. and Canada meet on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on NHL Network.
Canada beats Sweden 4-2. Gopher recruit Hannah Clark gives up two goals on 45 shots. Sweden outshoots Canada 45-31 as powerplays were 14-6 in favor of the Swedes. U.S. and Canada meet on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on NHL Network.
By 14-6 do you mean minutes?
No, Sweden was 1-14 on the power play. Canada was 2-6. I watched a fair amount of the game and the officials were calling things pretty tight. If you’re interested, the 4-2 in my original post is linked to the game stats. One of the Swedish goals was on a two player advantage.
The 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Directorate Disciplinary Panel has issued a one-game suspension against Canadian player Alex Law due to a slew-footing incident against Swedish player Mira Hallin eight seconds into the Sweden-Canada game on Monday.
Law will therefore be suspended for today’s Canada-USA game.
She is an Ontario girl. The Gopher staff had interest, but she wound up committing to Boston University.
Already with a semifinal spot secured,Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team looks to finish a perfect prelims and take top spot in Group A when it wraps up the prelims against the United States on Wednesday at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
LAST GAME
Canada earned its second victory in as many tries Monday, a 4-2 win over Sweden . Caitlin Kraemer led the way for Canada, scoring her third and fourth goals of the tournament in the third period, while Hannah Clark was terrific in a 43-save performance, including 16 in the final period. The Canadians leaned heavily on their penalty kill; the Swedes finished 1-for-14 on the power play.
The United States stayed perfect with an 8-1 win over Finland on Monday. Maggie Scannell had a hat trick and two assists, while captain Joy Dunne tallied a goal and two helpers for the reigning silver medallists. On the back end, Molly Jordan led all players with more than 26 minutes of ice time and Layla Hemp made her first start of the tournament, making 19 saves.
LAST MEETING
The North American rivals last met in the finale of a three-game series in Calgary last August, a 7-2 win for the Canadians that finished off their first sweep of the U.S. since 2007. Piper Grober and Abby Lunney led the offence with three assists apiece, and Canada got two goals from Keira Hurry and one each from Kraemer and Abby Stonehouse in the third period to turn a one-goal game into a comfortable win. Clark made 27 saves, 14 in the third period.
WHAT TO WATCH
In its first two preliminary-round games, Canada has received contributions up and down the lineup, but none more so than Kraemer, who is showing she can be a threat to score every time she is on the ice. The Waterloo, Ont., native has scored twice in each game so far, opening the tournament with two first-period goals against Finland and netting a pair of third-period markers against Sweden.
Sitting with Kraemer near the top of the tournament scoring race is Scannell, who has posted seven points (four goals, three assists) in two games. The Americans have also scored on six of their 10 power-play opportunities through two games, which will test an overworked Canadian penalty kill that was on the ice for more than 21 minutes against the Swedes.
A LOOK BACK
Including the U18 women’s worlds and summer series that date back to 2007, Canada and the U.S. have faced off 61 times at the U18 level, with the games almost split right down the middle (Canada leads 31-29). Even the goals are almost even (Canada has a 171-169 edge).
At worlds, the rivals have met in all but one of the 14 gold medal games, with the U.S. holding a narrow 8-7 edge there. That includes last June in Madison, Wis., where Alexia Aubin, Ava Murphy and Jocelyn Amos helped Canada open a three-goal lead, and Mari Pietersen made 29 saves in a 3-2 Canadian victory for its sixth world title .
All-time record: Canada leads 32-29 (9-9 in OT/SO)
The Czechs beat Slovakia to win Group “B”. Both teams will advance to the quarterfinals against Finland or Sweden. I believe Slovakia will play the winner of Sweden/Finland and the Czechs get the loser.
The U.S. and Canada will get byes into the semifinal round regardless of the outcome of this afternoon’s game.
Despite the goal I posted above, Sweden beats Slovakia 6-1 to move on to the semifinal round. I believe the U.S. will get Sweden on Saturday and Canada will play the winner of the Finland/Czechia game (1:00 on ESPN+). I think the medal games are on Sunday.
Despite the goal I posted above, Sweden beats Slovakia 6-1 to move on to the semifinal round. I believe the U.S. will get Sweden on Saturday and Canada will play the winner of the Finland/Czechia game (1:00 on ESPN+). I think the medal games are on Sunday.
The U.S. will have to play a LOT better if they have any hope of turning the tables and beating Canada on Sunday (assuming they first get past Sweden and their home crowd on Saturday - by no means a sure thing). The U.S. was badly outplayed in their last meeting with Canada, getting outshot by a three-to-one margin. The outcome would have surely been worse for the Americans if it were not for some outstanding play (and a little luck) in goal. That good play in net will have to spread throughout their entire lineup to give the team any chance of bringing home GOLD.
Finland beats the Czechs 3-2 in the final quarterfinal. Looks like Saturday’s semifinals are U.S./Sweden at 9:00 a.m. (NHL Network) and Canada/Finland at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
Sunday is bronze medal game at 9:00 a.m. and gold medal game at 1:00 p.m.
At the end of the article, when asked which school she would someday like to play for, she answers "Wisconsin. It's a really good team, I think." She must not have heard that the Badgers are in the midst of a slump, having lost their last five including sweeps by UMD and Ohio State. Of course there are lots of games to be played between now and when she makes her final decision.
Tournament MVP Nela Lopusanova, Slovakia Media All-Star Team Goalkeeper: Felicia Frank, Sweden Defender: Mira Jungaker, Sweden Defender: Molly Jordan, USA Forward: Caitlin Kraemer, Canada (one year eligibility left) Forward: Pauliina Salonen, Finland Forward: Nela Lopusanova, Slovakia (three years eligibility left) Directorate Awards Best Goalkeeper: Felicia Frank, Sweden Best Defender: Mira Jungaker, Sweden Best Forward: Nela Lopusanova, Slovakia
Kraemer is a UMD recruit, Jordan is a Boston College recruit.
As far as the recruits in this tournament, Kendra Distad, Hannah Clark and Gracie Graham all have one more year of eligibility.
For anyone that might be curious about Emma Kreisz, the Gophers 2023 recruit from Budapest, Hungary, this coming weekend is the chance to see her as her Stanstead College team will be at Ridder for four games in the JWHL’s annual trip to town.
Stanstead schedule:
Friday 2:00 p.m. vs. Shattuck’s Prep team (Ridder)
Saturday 2:00 p.m. vs. Shattuck’s U19 team (Ridder)
Saturday 8:00 p.m. vs. Balmoral Hall (Ridder)
Sunday 10:00 a.m. vs. Pacific Steelers (Ridder)
Shattuck is not a JWHL member, but they have taken part in this event in the past. Balmoral Hall is a prep school in Winnipeg and the Pacific Steelers are a girl’s team from the Vancouver area. Amy Potomak played for the Steelers before her Gopher days.
Shattuck’s prep team schedule shows a Thursday night game against Stanstead in Faribault but Stanstead’s schedule on their site doesn’t show this game. I have e-mailed both coaches to find out what is what, but no reply yet.
Was looking for some information about Emma Kreisz the other day and stumbled across this “Selects” tournament from 2016. The Selects people have been putting on tournaments like this for a few years now and I believe they also run Selects Academy, a Shattuck style program that turns out a lot of college recruits and players that wind up on national teams.
Just thought this was kind of interesting. Beside Ms. Kreisz on the Hungarian team, current Gophers Sadie Lindsay, Payton Hemp, Emily Zumwinkle and Tristana Tatur were on the Minnesota team plus Nelli Laitinen was on the Finnish team. The tournament was in Helsinki.
Congratulations to Laura Halldorson on being honored as the 2022-23 State of Hockey Legacy Award winner. Laura becomes the first female to receive this honor.
Looks like the Stanstead-Shattuck Prep team game at Ridder today has been switched to 4:00 on the JWHL schedule rather than the 2:00 game time I had posted above. The other times I posted above look to be unchanged.
Section playoffs for girls kicks off tonight. Thought I’d play around with one guy’s thoughts on the odds we see recruits at the State Tournament in a couple of weeks.
1AA 1 Lakeville South 2 Lakeville North 3 Owatonna 4 Northfield (Ayla Puppe) 5 Farmington 6 Rochester Century 7 Rochester Mayo
15%: Northfield did make it to St. Paul last year, but had much stronger goal tending. They are 0-3 with the teams seeded above them (one goal loss to Lakeville North and one and two goal losses to Owatonna).
2AA 1 Minnetonka (Ava Lindsay, Josie Hemp, Elly Klepinger & Kendra Distad) 2 Holy Family 3 Shakopee 4 Prior Lake 5 Eden Prairie 6 Bloomington Jefferson 7 Chaska/Chanhassen 8 New Prague
80%: This section seems destined for a Minnetonka-Holy Family final. Tonka won 3-1 at Christmas time. Holy Family has the goal tending to steal one.
3AA 1 Apple Valley 2 Rosemount 3 Metro-South 4 Cretin-Derham Hall 5 Park of Cottage Grove 6 Eastview 7 Eagan 8 Hastings
4AA 1 Hill-Murray 2 Gentry Academy 3 Stillwater 4 Roseville/Mahtomedi 5 East Ridge 6 Woodbury 7 White Bear Lake 8 North St. Paul/Tartan
5AA 1 Maple Grove 2 Centennial/Spring Lake Park (Lauren O’Hara) 3 North Wright County 4 Champlin Park/Coon Rapids 5 Rogers 6 Osseo/Park Center 7 Mounds View/Irondale
20%: Centennial has lost twice to Maple Grove (2-0 and 5-1) and is no lock to reach the finals. Depth is lacking although they have some very interesting young players.
Andover 95%, Elk River 2%: I just don’t see anyone here with the horses to knock off Andover. I don’t think it would be a huge shock to see Elk River in the final, but don’t put money down on my say so.
recruit Kendra Distad with a goal. ‘23 recruit Ava Lindsay is named U.S. player of the game.
recruit Hannah Clark with a 21 save shutout.
