SUNDSVALL, Sweden – The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Sweden, 6-2, here today at the 2015 Four Nations Cup. Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (Grand Forks, N.D.) both registered a pair of goals while Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) and Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio) added two points each. Decker tallied one goal and one assist and Stack registered a pair of assists. Nine players overall had at least one point in the victory. Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) stopped nine of 11 shots she faced to earn the victory.
“We had a tough start to the game but we regained our composure to earn the win,” said Ken Klee, head coach of the 2015 U.S. Women’s National Team. “We got better as the game went on and we’ll take the win to start the tournament. We’ll now turn our attention to playing Canada tomorrow.”
Sweden scored 11 seconds into the opening period but Lamoureux-Davidson responded with her first goal of the game just 1:40 later to tie the game, 1-1. On the play, Lamoureux-Davidson skated down the boards and cut into the slot from the left circle before firing a shot past the Swedish goaltender.
Both teams traded another set of goals to knot the game, 2-2, with Decker scoring for the U.S. off a redirection of a Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) point shot at 7:25.
Knight buried her first of the game at 9:41 after Decker worked the puck free in the corner and dished it to Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) who found Knight in the slot. Knight notched her second goal at 17:34 to put the U.S. up 4-2 heading into the first intermission.
During the second stanza, Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.) extended the U.S. lead to 5-2 with a power play goal at 12:35. Emily Pflazer (Getzville, N.Y.) started the play with a pass down low to Stack near the goal line, who then fed the puck across the crease to Duggan who tucked it home.
At 14:36, Lamoureux-Davidson added a shorthanded goal off a long shot from her own blueline that fooled Sweden’s goaltender and went in over her blocker.
After a scoreless third period, the game ended at 6-2 with the U.S. outshooting Sweden 41-11.
For complete recap and box score, click here.
Team USA is back in action tomorrow (November 5) against Canada at 1 p.m. ET.
NOTES: Emily Pfalzer was named U.S. Player of the Game. Reagan Carey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey’s director of women’s hockey, is the general manager of the 2015 U.S. Women’s National Team. Ken Klee (Denver, Colo.) is the head coach of the 2015 U.S. Women’s National Team at the Four Nations Cup. He is assisted by Robb Stauber (Medina, Minn.), Brett Strot (Tampa, Fla.) and Chris Tamer (Dearborn, Mich.) … 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. It is the 20th year of the tournament and the United States has competed 19 times, having not participated in 2001. The United States has captured the title five times (1997, 2003, 2008, 2011-12), finished second 12 times and third in the tournament in 2013. The Americans hold an overall record of 41-5-5-23-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) in 76 Three/Four Nations Cup games.
