USA 6:1 1SW | USA - Sweden2 (Olympics - Women)

Olympics - Women

USA – Sweden2

6:1 (end)

Canada2 – Switzerland

3:1 (end)

final

USA

6:1 (3:0, 2:0, 1:1)

Sweden2

Monday 17.02.2014, 13:30 • Shayba Arena, Sochi • Olympics - Women

		There's the final buzzer, and the USA have romped into the final with a 6-1 thrashing of Sweden! The Swedes were never in this one and they will want to focus on the bronze medal match now. In the first period on 29 shots the USA score three times through Alex Carpenter, Kacey Bellamy and Amanda Kessel and in the second period they didn't let up scoring twice more through Monique Lamoureux and Megan Bozek. The Swedes improved in the third period and grabbed a goal when Anna Borgqvist found the net, but Brianna Decker finished it off for the US at the end. Thanks for following the game with us, and join me later for the second semi final between Canada and Switzerland at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games! (15:52:56)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:59	Coyne skates hard to the net on the left flank and Martin Hasson dives on the puck to cover it
	59:30	We're now into the final 30 seconds of the game with the USA cruising into the final with the score at 6-1 in their favour
	58:44	Carpenter fires the puck into the crease and it gets deflected out by the beleaguered Swedes
	56:58	Goal for Team USA! BRIANNA DECKER slams a first time slapshot off the bar and it cruelly ricochets off Emilia Andersson's skate and past the helpless Martin Hasson, it's 6-1! Assists- Kendall Coyne and Amanda Kessel
	56:06	Knight on the slot tries to force the puck under the goalkeeper and just fails in doing so! That Swedish goal seems to have injected a bit of life back into the US
	54:27	Lamoureux skates in, spins around and with her backhand she's denied by an expert pad save from Martin Hasson! The score stays at 5-1 in the Americans' favour
	54:27	Penalty shot now for the USA! Backlin chopped down Jocelyne Lamoureux and she herself will pick herself up to take the shot!
	53:04	Goal for Team Sweden! They've deserved that goal! ANNA BORGQVIST tips in an Eliasson blast from the point and the Swedes have their consolation goal, 5-1! Assists- Emma Eliasson and Pernilla Winberg
	52:59	Vetter clings on the the puck as it almost slipped under her and into the net after a strong skate from Uden Johansson who tried a wraparound attempt! And just before that Martin Hasson did well to stop a tipped Stecklein effort
	50:51	Lowenhielm! The loose puck falls to her at the point and Vetter does really well to tip her powerful slapshot over the crossbar!
	50:20	Vetter sticks away a low pass into her crease from the left hand boards
	49:01	Sweden are doing well in this period so far, their attacks have a little more edge than they did before
	48:18	Lindh! She skates along the boards, turns well and just as she shapes to snip she's stripped of the puck!
	46:19	Lyndsey Fry bursts through to Martin Hasson's left post and she's denied well with the blocker!
	45:59	Vetter tips a heavy slapshot from the left faceoff circle over to keep her shutout going
	44:11	The puck squirms along the Swedish goal line and it's swept away just in time!
	43:45	To their credit Sweden are still committed to the cause but they just cannot hold on to the puck for a significant amount of time
	42:31	Schleper! Just in front of the blue line she has space to take aim and shoot and her slapper gets deflected up and over the net!
	41:52	An off balance Duggan tips the puck with her stick neatly towards the near post but it hits the side netting
	40:25	The USA have the first attack of the third period. The outcome of this semifinal may already have been decided but Sweden will want to save their pride in this set of 20 minutes
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		Statistics after the first two periods- Shots on target- 51-6 Penalty minutes- 6-8 Saves made by the goalkeeper- 6-46
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:38	Eliasson makes a strong burst into the attack, goes for Vetter's near post and Vetter puts it into the boards with her pads
	39:30	We're now into the final 30 seconds of the second period
	38:29	Rask with a weak wrist shot makes sure that Vetter is still in the game
	38:19	It's another tricky skate to the net from Stack and the Swedes struggle to clear!
	37:52	Icing now from the USA
	37:28	Asserholt is found waiting at the right post with a pass from behind the net but she can't get good contact on it
	36:22	Martin Hasson loses control of the puck as she tries to take it in with her stick and she's lucky no one could get to that!
	36:01	Icing again from Sweden
	35:45	Stack charges her way through the Swedish defence but her shot isn't strong enough to cause the goalkeeper problems!
	34:47	Kessel's pass into the crease is tipped and Martin Hasson reacts quickly to turn it away!
	34:01	Monique Lamoureux with a slapshot blocker side forces Martin Hasson into her first save
	33:22	Icing from the Swedes
	32:31	Despite doing a fantastic job to keep the score at 5-0 Valentina Wallner has now been pulled and Kim Martin Hasson has taken her place
	32:17	Goal for Team USA! They move the puck well in the zone and the move is finished off perfectly! MEGAN BOZEK from the point drives the puck low into the left hand corner and it's now 5-0! Assists- Kendall Coyne
	31:13	And icing is committed by the Americans
	31:08	The USA are now back to full strength
	30:08	Anna Borgqvist snipes it low and hard just outside the right faceoff circle and Vetter crouches down and freezes
	29:08	Coyne for hooking has been called and the Swedes now have a powerplay chance to relieve the pressure
	28:28	There is only one team on the ice today, the Swedes are enduring a match from hell as they are being simply annihilated
	27:01	Carpenter tries to find Knight on the slot but the pass is just too far in front of her
	25:41	Goal for Team USA! This time Wallner is helpless! MONIQUE LAMOUREUX takes the puck in at the top of the crease, she takes aim and the puck bounces off the net and out again, powerplay goal and it's 4-0! Assists- Jocelyne Lamoureux and Kacey Bellamy
	25:01	Wallner! It's another wonderful save from the Swedish netminder! Duggan deflects an excellent Kessel pass into the crease and Wallner shows alert reactions to deny her!
	23:47	The referees punish Winberg for interference and the Americans now go on the powerplay
	22:48	Knight no less than four times on the crease tries to force it past the goalkeeper but the puck just didn't want to go in! Wallner is doing everything she can to give her team a fighting chance
	22:25	Lamoureux! Monique Loamoureux goes one on one but Wallner makes an astonishing glove save when she was already off balance!
	21:48	Wallner makes a good blocker save off a wrister from the right faceoff circle! And then Ostberg leads a counterattack out, she shoots herself and it drifts wide of the left hand post!
	21:11	Grahm shows a bit of courage to skate all the way from her zone into the attack, but her final pass is lacking
	20:24	Early dangerous attack from the Americans and as the puck escapes Wallner's grasp it's shoveled away off the goal line!
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Statistics after the first period of play- Shots on target- 29-1 Penalty minutes- 4-6 Saves made by the goalkeeper- 1-26
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:45	It's now the final few seconds of a perfect first period for the USA, and a period that Sweden would like to forget
	18:55	And America are now back to full strength
	18:54	Vetter touches the puck for practically the first time off a hopeful shot from the left hand boards
	17:28	The puck pops out to Nordin off an American skate but she takes an air shot when looking to hit it first time!
	16:55	Sweden have their second powerplay coming up here, Gigi Marvin for interference has been penalised
	16:23	Coyne! She tricks her way past the two opposing defenders, snaps a quick low shot in on goal and Wallner has to be alert!
	15:35	Sweden are trapped inside their own zone, every time they look to try and go forward the Americans shut them down immediately
	14:43	Icing is committed by the Swedes
	14:12	Stack goes back door to find one of her teammates unmarked but she can't control the puck under her stick!
	13:33	The Americans are now back at full strength
	12:37	Winberg almost manages to get a low wrister away, but she gets crowded out at the vital moment
	12:06	Sweden go offside. 12 minutes in and they are yet to have any shots on goal whatsoever
	11:33	Picard for hooking has been sent to the penalty box for the USA and Sweden have a powerplay to try and get something going
	11:19	And Sweden take a timeout straight away, this could end up as a cricket score if they're not careful
	11:19	Goal for Team USA! Just after the powerplay expired they manage score for the third time already! AMANDA KESSEL finds the loose puck on the slot and she sends it top shelf with Wallner already floored, it's 3-0! Assists- Brianna Decker and Gigi Marvin
	10:51	Marvin is fed by Kessel at the right hand post, but her shot is directly into the goalkeeper who spread herself well!
	09:44	How didn't that go in! Carpenter almost in the goal tries to stuff it under Wallner's pads but it''s defended well, and on the ensuing scramble no one can force the puck over the line!
	09:32	Wester is now back into the action
	09:17	Decker! From the middle of the zone she winds up but it's right down the throat of Wallner! And Asserholt for roughing in that play has also now been sent to the penalty box for Sweden
	08:20	Wallner holds on to a powerful effort from the point. She really is having to work hard to keep her team in the game even at this early stage
	08:11	Carpenter! She could have had her second there! She's left free on the right of the crease, she has all the time in the world but she misses the far post!
	07:32	Sweden really have had a nightmare start and already again they're on the penalty kill, Wester for tripping has been penalised
	07:16	Goal for Team USA! Just like that they have doubled their lead! KACEY BELLAMY takes aim from the blue line and it goes through traffic and off the right post and in, it's 2-0 already! Assists- Brianna Decker and Megan Bozek
	06:49	The puck is tipped right in front of Wallner and it just hits her pads and goes wide!
	06:10	Goal for Team USA! It's been coming! Kelli Stack makes a strong skate from the right and around the net, finds ALEX CARPENTER right on the doorstep and she makes no mistake, powerplay goal and it's 1-0! Assists- Megan Bozek and Kelli Stack
	05:45	Borgqvist for hooking has been called, and the USA have a powerplay chance to put the pressure on even more
	05:25	Coyne steals the puck off an opposing defender, takes aim early from the left faceoff circle and Wallner once again covers with her glove
	05:01	Wallner is a busy goalkeeper so far, and the Swedes are struggling to hold on to the puck when they have control of it
	02:41	Wallner coughs up the puck to Alex Carpenter right on the crease and she redeems herself with a big pad save! That was a good early chance for the Americans
	01:41	The first shot comes in from the left flank, but it's directly into the Swedish goalkeeper's glove who covers with ease
	00:59	Decker at the near post just can't find room to squeeze in a shot with defenders all around her
	00:31	The Americans and the Swedes both quickly go offside. The USA will certainly be looking to hold the initiative today
	00:01	Game started.
		The referees and the teams are now skating out on to the ice and it's almost time to get underway!
		Starting lineups: USA: Vetter (Schaus)- Bozek, Schleper, Stack, Knight, Carpenter- Marvin, Bellamy, Decker, Coyne, Kessel- Picard, Pucci, M Lamoureux, Duggan, J Lamoureux- Stecklein, Chu, Fry Sweden: Wallner (Martin Hasson)- Backlin, Andersson, Asserholt, Wester, Winberg- Holmgren, Eliasson, Borgqvist, Grahm, Nordin- Engstrom, Olofsson, Ostberg, Lindh- Lowenhielm- Backman, Rask, Uden Johansson Referees: Bordeleau, Caughey, Svobodova.
		The USA start as firm favourites to make it through to the final, but Sweden certainly will make it as hard as they can for them. After finishing in second place of Group A the US got a bye straight through to the semi finals, but the Swedes had to come through a tough playoff match against Finland to make it here.
		Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Today we have the women's ice hockey semi finals for you, and first up today is the USA against Sweden.
		Welcome. Game starts at 13:30.

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 7. Carpenter (Bozek, Stack), 8. Bellamy (Decker, Bozek), 12. Kessel (Decker, Marvin), 26. Lamoureux (Lamoureux, Bellamy), 33. Bozek (Coyne), 57. Decker (Coyne, Kessel) – 54. Borgqvist (Eliasson, Winberg)

USA: Vetter (Schaus)- Bozek, Schleper, Stack, Knight, Carpenter- Marvin, Bellamy, Decker, Coyne, Kessel- Picard, Pucci, M Lamoureux, Duggan, J Lamoureux- Stecklein, Chu, Fry

Sweden2: Wallner (Martin Hasson)- Backlin, Andersson, Asserholt, Wester, Winberg- Holmgren, Eliasson, Borgqvist, Grahm, Nordin- Engstrom, Olofsson, Ostberg, Lindh- Lowenhielm- Backman, Rask, Uden Johansson

Referees: Bordeleau, Caughey, Svobodova

1st period
	05:45
	06:10
	07:16
	07:32
	09:17
	11:19
	11:33
	16:55
1st intermission
2nd period
	23:47
	25:41
	29:08
	32:17
2nd intermission
3rd period
	53:04
	56:58
Final