Canada wins gold at women's hockey worlds

Once again, Canada reigns supreme in women's hockey, capturing its ninth world title Tuesday night in Winnipeg.

Kim St. Pierre turned aside 21 of 22 shots as Team Canada earned a convincing 5-1 victory over the United States in the final of the women's world hockey championship before a capacity crowd of 15,003 at the MTS Centre.

The North American rivals have met in all 10 world finals, with Canada winning the first eight before falling 1-0 to the U.S. in a shootout two years ago.

Since then, Canada has claimed gold medals at the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games, the Four Nations Cup, and now the worlds.

Sweden blanked Finland 1-0 to earn the bronze medal.

Jennifer Botterill, Jayna Hefford, Hayley Wickenheiser, Danielle Goyette and Sarah Vaillancourt scored for Canada, which went unbeaten in the week-long tournament and outscored the opposition 32-5.

"We played our best game of the tournament when it counted," said Wickenheiser, the tournament's most valuable player and top scorer with eight goals and 14 points.

"It was a good tournament [for me]," she continued. "Things were going in the net and I was seeing things pretty well.

"I just felt good on the ice all over the place, and really relaxed and composed most of the time. I was able to play I think some of my best hockey."

Wickenheiser assumed the captaincy from Cassie Campbell, who retired last Aug. 30.

"They're big shoes to fill," Wickenheiser said. "But this team has always been led by more players than just the captain."

"She walks the walk," Canadian forward Vicky Sunohara said of Wickenheiser.

"We can talk about playing hard and coming out and being consistent and doing everything to be your best — and she does that. It's contagious."

Chanda Gunn had 29 saves and Krissy Wendell scored the lone goal and for the U.S., which was outshot in all three periods and 34-22 overall.

"We played OK tonight," American head coach Mark Johnson said. "But OK doesn't get it done.

"We came up a little bit short tonight. But I am very proud of their effort."

Botterill breaks deadlock

Botterill staked Canada to a 1-0 lead 58 seconds into the second period, collecting a pass from Caroline Ouellette and firing a shot from a sharp angle that grazed off defenceman Caitlin Cahow and dipped under Gunn's left arm.

It was Botterill's third goal of the tournament.

Hefford increased Canada's lead to 2-0 at 11:33, shovelling in a Sunohara rebound from inside the crease for a goal that went to video review.

Wickenheiser put Canada ahead 3-0 on a wicked wrist shot high to Gunn's glove side with 3:43 left in the period.

"She is ferocious," Canadian defenceman Delaney Collings said of Wickenheiser.

"She is unforgiving in the way that she plays hockey. I wouldn't want to be her opponent, I'd want to be her teammate."

Canada kept pressuring and was rewarded when Goyette potted a rebound 9:22 into the third period, giving her six goals in the tournament and a team-record 37 at the worlds.

Wendell spoiled St. Pierre's bid for a third straight shutout, pouncing on a loose puck and backhanding it under the crossbar to cut the deficit to 4-1 at 10:08.

But Vaillancourt replied with a breakaway goal to complete the scoring with 2:44 remaining.

"We really dominated them tonight," Wickenheiser said. "I'm proud we could win in Canada and for these fans in Winnipeg."

Canada actually defeated the U.S. twice in the tournament, prevailing 5-4 in a shootout last Saturday.