Canada beats Sweden for spot in semifinals at women's hockey worlds
Renata Fast scores twice in 5-1 victory; Canada meets Czech Republic on Saturday
Renata Fast scored twice to lead Canada in a 5-1 win over Sweden in a women's world hockey championship quarterfinal Thursday.
The Canadians meet back-to-back bronze medallist the Czech Republic in a semifinal Saturday. Defending champion United States was to face Japan in the remaining quarterfinal Thursday night.
Laura Stacey, Natalie Spooner and Jaime Bourbonnais were goal scorers for Canada, which has goal production from 11 different players in the tournament.
Defender Jocelyne Larocque contributed a pair of assists in the win.
Hilda Svensson scored for Sweden.
Canada required a Sarah Nurse overtime goal to put the Swedes away 3-2 in last year's quarterfinal in Brampton, Ont., but finished the job in regulation Thursday.
WATCH | Fast strikes twice to lead Canada past Sweden:
Emerance Maschmeyer got the nod in Canada's net for the quarterfinal as she did in Brampton, with Kristen Campbell backing her up. Maschmeyer made 17 saves.
Sweden's Emma Soderberg, who had 51 saves against the Canadians last year, stopped 39 at the Adirondack Bank Center.
The Canadians led 2-1 and 3-1 at period breaks of a heavy quarterfinal of collisions and grinding checks along the boards.
Lina Ljungblom backhanded the puck by a prone Maschmeyer midway through the third period, but officials ruled the play had been whistled dead.
Sweden quickly took a cross-checking minor and gave up two goals in the span of less than a minute.
Canada's power play went 0-for-4 in the game and was 1-for-14 for the tournament.
Sweden had chances to draw even early in the second when Ljungblom took off on a breakaway stepping out of the penalty box, and Sofie Lundin put a shot off Maschmeyer's left post.
But Fast restored Canada's two-goal lead by whipping a high shot from the top of the faceoff circle past bodies into the far corner of Sweden's net at 8:11.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin leaning into Paula Bergstrom and assessed an illegal hit had a Swedish fan yelling "kick her out" midway through the period.
Canada allowed its first power-play goal of the tournament at 11:46 of the first period.
Svensson, who forced OT in Brampton by scoring with 10 seconds left in regulation, beat Maschmeyer far side on Lundin's pass from the goal line.
Canada led 2-0 by 5:29 when Blayre Turnbull stripped a Swedish defender of the puck and dished to Stacey, who wired the puck by Soderberg for Stacey's second of the tournament.
Fast carried the puck in from the wing, cut in front of Sweden's net and beat Soderberg with a backhand between the pads at 2:25.
U.S. thumps Japan
Alex Carpenter and Abbey Murphy each had two goals, and the United States scored six times in the second period en route to a 10-0 victory over Japan on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the women's world hockey championships.
Lacey Eden scored 3:59 into the game, and Hilary Knight and Carpenter each added a first-period goal for a 3-0 lead.
The U.S. scored 65 seconds into the second. Kirsten Simms, Murphy and Joy Dunne scored eight minutes apart to make it 6-0. It was Dunne's first goal with the national team.
Japan changed goaltenders, down 6-0. Miyuu Masuhara came on to replace Riko Kawaguchi — and the two combined to face 48 shots on goal.
Murphy added her second goal with 7:06 remaining in the second. Tessa Janecke, who assisted on Murphy's second goal, and Caroline Harvey scored 34 seconds apart to extend it to 9-0.
Carpenter netted her fifth goal of the tournament in the third. She also had two assists.
The U.S. advances to face Finland on Saturday. Canada plays Czechia, more widely known in English as the Czech Republic, in the other semifinal.
Finland Tops Switzerland
Earlier, Susanna Tapani scored the winning goal and added an assist as Finland advanced to the semifinals of the world women's hockey championship with a 3-1 win over Switzerland on Thursday.
Tapani's deciding goal came at 16:34 of the second period when she tipped a shot from Petra Nieminen past Swiss goaltender Andrea Braendli.
Ivana Wey scored 1:22 into the game for Switzerland, but the Finns dominated the rest of the way.
Sanni Ahola stopped 16 shots for Finland.
Braendli made 34 saves for Switzerland, which advanced to the quarterfinals as the fifth-place team in Group A after failing to get a win in the round robin.
Czech Republic stifles Germany
Daniela Pejsova scored with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation as the Czech Republic advanced to the semifinals with a close win over Pool B winner Germany.
Klara Peslarova made 16 saves to pick up the shutout for the Czech Republic.
Sandra Abstrieter, who plays for Ottawa's PWHL team, stopped 23 shots for Germany.
Germany had a chance late when Czech and PWHL Minnesota forward Denisa Krizova was assessed a five minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind with just under three minutes left to play, but the Czech Republic held on for the win.
