| Four-goal flurry in the first period powers Team USA victory | |
| HEINOLA, Finland – Fueled by goals from seven different players, the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team defeated Sweden, 8-0, today in the team’s final preliminary game of the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Women’s World Championship. Katherine Schipper (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota) scored twice and added an assist while Team USA goaltender Sidney Peters (Geneva, Ill.) stopped 10 shots in the squad’s third straight shutout victory in the tournament.
“Our puck movement was phenomenal today,” said Jeff Kampersal, head coach of Team USA. “The defense did a good job of regrouping in the neutral zone the forwards hit their spots. It looked really good. I thought our kids did a great job of moving the puck all the way around.” The first 10 minutes featured action on both ends of the ice before the U.S. scored four goals in the span of 1:25 to take command. Cara Piazza (Darien, Ill.) started Team USA’s goal spree by finishing off a rebound from Danielle Cameranesi’s (Plymouth, Minn.) shot after Cameranesi stole the puck from a Swedish defenseman as she tried to clear the zone. Eighteen seconds later, Grace Zarzecki (Chicago, Ill.) buried a backhand shot for the second U.S. goal of the game. Less than a minute later Megan Wolfe (Eagan, Minn.) scored to make it 3-0. Jennifer Ryan (Victor, N.Y.) capped off the offensive burst 16 seconds after Wolfe’s goal with a blast from the point that knocked Swedish goaltender Maria Omberg’s water bottle off the net. Schipper’s wrist shot found the top right corner of the net 59 seconds into the second period to give the U.S. a 5-0 advantage. Taylar Cianfarano (Oswego N.Y) then picked up her second point of the game with a spectacular effort from the right side of the ice in which she faked a pass across the goal crease, drawing Omberg out of position, then buried the puck just inside the right post. Schipper notched her second goal of the game at 2:15 of the third period by capitalizing on a rebound from Amy Menke’s (Shakopee, Minn.) shot. It was the second time the two players combined for a goal on their line’s first shift of a period, having also done so in the second period. Soon after, Sweden nearly spoiled the U.S. shutout with a breakaway chance, but Peters came up with the save. Cameranesi capped off scoring for Team USA with a power-play tally midway through the period. With its three preliminary round victories, the U.S. receives a bye into Friday’s (Jan. 3) semifinal round and will learn tomorrow who its next opponent will be. NOTES: Taylar Cianfarano, who was 11-for-14 in the face-off circle and recorded two points (1-1—2), was named the U.S. Player of the Game … Team USA is the only squad in the tournament that has yet to concede a goal |
