A recap of the action from January 5, 2025, day two of the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship in Vantaa, Finland.
USA 3, Sweden 0
I don't think this was the game either team wanted to play, ultimately, but the US did a better job of dealing with the adversity and were scrappy in front of the net and that, along with good goaltending, made the difference for them.
The physicality and tenacity that this Swedish team are capable of was absent for much of the game and in the end, they also lacked finish. When opportunities arose around the net, they weren't able to put their best on the puck and it's difficult to defeat the defending gold medalists when two of the best parts of your game go missing.
Christina Scalese opened the scoring when a tipped puck and busted play and an uncontrolled puck in the slot popped onto her stick right in front of the net. She took a touch and was able to sneak the puck past the outstretched leg of Maja Helge to make it 1-0 USA midway through the game. It was a demoralizing goal for Sweden, who'd just squandered a 5-on-3 minutes earlier.
Early in the third, Evelyn Doyle took advantage of a loose puck in the crease to give the Americans the 2-0 lead. Helge made a couple of point blank stops but the puck was loose and Doyle was there to tap it in. Kylie Amelkovich's empty-netter closed out the 3-0 win for the US.
What We Learned:
- Mind games – One of the biggest areas of growth for players at this level is the mental side of the game. Being able to manage the highs and lows, the pressure, the adrenaline and not let it affect your game is a skill and one that players have to work on. There were points in this game where Sweden was controlling play or had a power play and it seemed like the moment got in their heads a bit and the adrenaline took over, especially during the 5-on-3. They were rushing passes and shots, leading to whiffs and weak shots. As Giants in the Crease on Twitter has said, Sweden is getting to the point where they can match the US and Canada in talent and they have to enter these games believing that and play with the confidence of an equal, not the hope of a team that might be able to steal a game.
Standout Performances:
- Sweden F Moa Johannesson – To be clear, the answer is Edit Danielsson always and you should just assume she played better than anyone else on the ice. But Johannesson serves as a good partner for her on the top line, enhancing Danielsson without relying or on deferring to her too much. Johannesson also takes the top line faceoffs and helps her team keep possession. She led the team in time on ice and made her presence known, getting scrappy around the net, backchecking and making things difficult for the Americans.
- USA G Morgan Stickney – She has started her international career with back to back shutouts and she was well-tested against the Swedes. She moves well in her crease, doesn't overreact and while she's an active goalie that will come out, she has the right instincts for when to be out of her goal. After not facing a lot yesterday, she was tested today and stood up well against an often fast and physical Sweden offense.
Quotable:
"Absolutely. The habits they play with in this game was not at the top level. We have to do things a little simply and don't stress them out. Be compact and do your job for the next shift and the next shift and next shift." - Sweden coach Andreas Karlsson
"This was a good experience for our team. Tomorrow is a new day. Today you can be disappointed and take what you need to learn from this type of game." - Karlsson
"As a group I thought we grew from yesterday, we came to play and put a good 60 minutes together. Credit to Sweden. They were hard working. They have some really talented players, they have an excellent goalie and they have some really threatening players up front. For us, it was 'do your job and do it really well' on repeat. Do that every shift. You have to be scrappy or its not going to work." - USA coach Liz Keady Norton
"We're adapting and adjusting to every opponent. That's what it's like playing at this level. I'm proud of their effort, proud of their attitude and execution and it's onward and upward." - Keady Norton
"She's young and she's new, but I'd go to war with that kid. She's a warrior." - Keady Norton on goalie Morgan Stickney.
"Morgan Stickney is a winner. She gives you a chance every game. I thought today she played particularly well. I thought we gave up some grade-A chances and she had our back. That helps us play well in front of her because people are really confident in her ability." - Keady Norton
"I think we competed really well the whole game. We can do better, but I think we had the mentality to win over USA." - Sweden captain Nellie Svensson
"This loss was good for us. We need to learn from this game and just keep going. It was a good game for us to experience as a team." - Svensson
"Maja is a wall. She's having a really good time right now. If she keeps going, she's going to be even better. She's really good at talking so it's so much easier for our defenders to know where our teammates and opponents are." - Svensson
"My team has been playing really well in front of me, making it really easy for me." - USA goalie Morgan Stickney
"I'm just working hard and trying to do the little things and hopefully the goals will come. I'm just trying to get the pucks in deep and keep it in the offensive zone." - USA F Christina Scalese
Finland 4, Japan 2
The home team had to scratch out a win on Sunday afternoon as Japan gave them all they could handle. Ultimately, it was a mistake in assignments in the offensive zone which left open ice that Yenna Kolmonen took advantage of to score the deciding goal with 3:18 left in the third period. She picked the puck up behind her own blue line and had clear ice to head directly on net where she beat Haruka Kuromaru blocker-side.
Vilma Nurmisto's empty-net goal just more than two minutes later secured the win and got nearly as loud a response from the Finnish fans.
Japan put pressure on Finland from the beginning and scored first when Umeka Odaira put what she thought was a backhand pass to the net front from a near angle and had it deflect into the net to make it 1-0 Japan. But Finland responded quickly as Julia Kuhta slapped in a shot on a saucer pass from Abigail Byskata on the power play on a set play coach Mira Kuisma said highlights Kuhta's strong shot and is Kuhta's favorite.
Nana Akimoto put Japan ahead midway through the game on the power play as she dipped further into the offensive zone and put the puck in at the back post to make it 2-1. It took until a few minutes into the third for Finland to find the equalizer as Eva Lamberg's shot from distance took a deflection and changed course, beating Kuromaru.
It was a tough loss for Japan and several players left the bench in tears knowing how close they were to a big upset that would have meant a lot to the players, but also for their chances of staying in the top tier of the tournament.
What We Learned:
- A small ways to go – There were small moments throughout this game where Japan just couldn't complete a play that showed how just shy they are of being a force at this level. There was a full breakaway that didn't result in a shot because the puck rolled off the stick and another couple that ended with weak shot attempts. When they were on the player advantage, they looked like magic. They moved the puck, had Finland a bit frozen in place and used the lanes well. It was like a glimpse of what they can be in the future at even strength.
- Resilience – Japan's performance today was so good all on its own, but I think it's even more so in light of the fact that they had four shots on goal and lost 6-0 to open the the tournament yesterday. They weren't discouraged, they didn't think they don't belong. They took those lessons and applied them to today's game and had the confidence to be step for step with Finland. And I'd like to remind everyone that they're doing this without one of their top players as coach Yujiro Kasahara confirmed today that Azumi Numabe will miss the whole tournament with an injury suffered during warmups of the team's first game. Her teammates had her #18 painted on their cheeks and Odaira said the team is playing for Numabe.
Standout Performances:
- Finland F Julia Kuhta – She used her size to carve out space in the middle of the ice, giving her room to unleash her massive slap shot. It found the back of the net in the first and she used it a few different times throughout the game. It forced Japan to respect and defend her specifically, particularly on the power play and opened up space for her teammates. Kuhta was also good from the faceoff dot.
- Japan D Nana Akimoto – She struck a really good balance of offense and defense today. She was active in the offensive zone, not just sticking to the blue line. She was reactive and quick on defense and helped start transition plays more than once.
Quotable:
"We're disappointed. We put up a good fight, but didn't get the result we wanted. We just needed to score more goals." - Japan F Umeka Odaira
"We need to defend a little better, but also take some risks when we have the opportunity." - Japan coach Yujiro Kasahara
"Our team is young. Games like these are good for our players." - Kasahara
"I saw the puck and saw that the defense was not close. There was a gap between the players and I got the puck and took it down and I scored." - Finland F Yenna Kolomen
"It wasn't exactly the way we'd like to play in that situation and I was thinking that I'd give her some feedback about it, but … then she scored the goal so I let it slide." - Finland coach Mira Kuisma on Kolomen's goal
"The first period was good. The first 10-15 minutes were good but then things were hard for us. In the third we mixed up the lineup and got more speed and confidence. We knew that we had to win this game." - Kuisma
"We are a tough team. It doesn't matter what's on the scoreboard hey will try to win. That's why I'm happy they go the result today." - Kuisma
"All the teams that are here now are very good. Everyone can beat each other." - Kusima
"We tried to relax the team. I said 'do whatever you have to do, just do it.'" - Kuisma
Czechia 6, Slovakia 3
While Slovakian hockey has advanced tremendously over the past few years, on Sunday it was the depth and poise of the Czechs that carried the game. But it was not an easy win by any stretch.
Slovakia struck first and took the lead again in the middle of the second, but struggled with puck possession and being able to complete a full 60 minute game. Czechia was calm and patient and though nerves seemed to pop up at times, they regrouped at intermission and were dominant in the final frame to take the win.
Nela Lopušanová led Slovakia with a hat trick. She leads the tournament with four goals and five points. Despite everyone in the arena knowing she was going to be the focus and carry the Slovak offense, she used her size and speed to take off on breakaways and then was able to sneak behind the defense on the power play.
Gabriela Lačná knocked the puck off a Czech stick to break Lopušanová, who held off the defender as she raced in on net and put the puck over the goalie's shoulder to make it 1-0 3:46 in.
Czech captain Linda Vocetková replied three minutes later, putting back a rebound and then scored again just before intermission, weaving through a flat defense and putting it top shelf to make it 2-1 Czechia.
Early in the second, the Czechs killed the beginning of a 5-on-3, but in the power play chaos, one of the defenders lost her assignment as Lopušanová was able to creep towards the back post unnoticed. Ema Tóthová put the perfect diagonal pass on Lopušanová's stick and she tapped in the puck to make it 2-2. Five minutes later, a bit of chaotic crashing in the crease saw the net unmoored, but Lopušanová was able to tuck the puck into the space where the goal should be and a review called it a good goal to make it 3-2 Slovakia.
That seemed to shake something loose for the Czechs as they scored twice in the final two minutes of the game, first on a nice bit of stickhandling through traffic by Magdaléna Felcmanová and then Barbora Prošková put back a rebound and it was 4-3 for the Czechs. Dana Březinová and Julie Jebousková added on in the third to give Czechia the win.
What We Learned:
- Balance – After having one of the most dominant top lines in tournament history for a few seasons, Czechia is learning to be a more balanced team across all their lines and while players like Vocetková may be a step above, this team is better for spreading out the responsibility for scoring. The program overall can't grow on the success of one or two or three players and for the good of the program, they need the level of play to lift across the board. A team like this year's helps make that happen. On the Slovak side, there isn't the same urgency to get the puck on Lopušanová and Tóthová's sticks to the detriment of everything else, but I do think there's a mental thought among the other players that those two will fix and win things for them. They're struggling to find the balance of taking advantage of the generational talent while still empowering and improving the other players on the team.
- Fully focused – Slovakia scored their third goal, which put them ahead 3-2 and it kind of felt like a switch flipped. They took a deep breath and maybe relaxed a bit and Czechia picked it up a notch. It was such a strange thing to watch in person. The third goals should have been energizing for Slovakia and a bit demoralizing for Czechia and instead it was like the beginning of the end for the Slovaks. It did feel a bit like the same phenomenon as I mentioned with the Swedes - Czechia, having beaten Canada last year and won silver, have the confidence and belief that they belong at the stop while for Slovakia, it's still a bit of a surprise and more of "we think and hope we can do this" instead of "we know we can." These are all elite players and from this age, the growth of their skill set will be relatively small in the scheme of things, but the mental side of the game - both reading the game and learning systems and developing their hockey IQ, but also the mental fortitude of being able to easily forget mistakes, have confidence and be mentally tough - has so much room to grow and improve.
Standout Performances:
- Slovakia F Nela Lopušanová – This may be a bit too obvious what with the hat trick and all, but one of the kind of underrated bits of Nela's game is the shot selection. She has four goals on 13 shots. There's an economy of movement and opportunity here that really shows off her vision. She's not just throwing the puck at the net and hoping for a good outcome. Just because it's not surprising from her doesn't mean it's not impressive.
- Czechia D Barbora Prošková – With a goal and two assists, she made her mark on the scoresheet, but she also seems to be just a really good engine out of the back for setting up plays and putting her team in great position as they enter the zone. She's quick and efficient on defense - it's not flashy, but it's effective. She doesn't ruffle, she doesn't rush things and she's not afraid to unleash a shot from distance.
Quotable:
"There is some pressure on me as captain but I try not to think about it. I just try to motivate my teammates and cheer them on, telling them we can win." - Czechia F Linda Vocetková
"It's tough when you're losing, obviously but I'm really proud of our team that we didn't have our heads down. We knew we were going to win. That was our mindset. We were patient." - Vocetková
"We have good players who can keep us in the game in the offensive zone, but we need more girls to contribute." - Slovakia coach Michal Kobezda
"We are struggling with faceoffs. We are losing too many faceoffs and then you're just chasing the puck all around. We have to get better there. That's what happened in the second. We lost two faceoffs and they scored two on us. I think that was the breaking point in the game." - Kobezda
"This is a tough one. We didn't play bad hockey. There were good things. We have to look at the vided and show them the good things and keep working. There is no other way." - Kobezda
"We have good players who can keep us in the game in the offensive zone, but we need more girls to contribute." - Kobezda
"Yeah I saw space there and Ema passed it to me there really nicely. We have good chemistry and you can see it on the ice, it works really well." - Slovakia F Nela Lopušanová
"Every girl is trying their best. They are practicing with their own teams. When they come here its important because they are improving and now they can show it here. For everyone, it's a huge deal." - Lopušanová
Canada 5, Switzerland 1
I'll admit off the top that based on their performance in Zug last year combined with the sad desperation of post game comments throughout the past few senior and U18 World Championships, I expected Switzerland to be the team most likely to be at the bottom this year. Now to be clear, at this point there isn't a definitive bottom team, but if it does end up being Switzerland, it won't be because they played poorly.
Of course, less than four minutes into the third, Chloe Primerano showed off a bit of what makes her so special by picking up the puck in her own end and going basically coast to coast on her own before wristing the puck past Iseli to make it 1-0. That opened things up for Canada as Dorothy Copetti cleaned up a rebound on an Anaïs Lephron shot. Sara Manness got her first goal in her second tournament on the team to make it 3-0.
Jael Manetsch stole the puck off an aggressive forecheck and took it to net to get Switzerland on the board, but Copetti added another after a nice pick pocket from Ava Wood to make it 4-1 and in the third Hayley McDonald scored on the power play to complete the 5-1 win.
What We Learned:
- Smart defense – The Swiss came out with confidence Sunday night and despite being outshot 14-2 in the first, the teams went into the locker room scoreless at the first intermission. Amaya Iseli was stellar in net for Switzerland, but the lack of Canadian goals wasn't just because she played well. Her team has stepped it up and throughout the game Canada was stuck in a loop of cycling the zone and passing in circles. Commend Canada's patience and belief that they'd settle in and find their lanes - they eventually did - but for two straight games, teams that has previously been steamrolled by Canada at this level forced the Canadians to adjust and react and make gameplan changes on the fly. It's a good learning experience for the Canadian players, but kudos to the Swiss for holding the middle, forcing their opponent to the perimeter and generally making life hard for Canada.
- When in doubt, do it yourself – Two slowish starts to the games for the Canadians have me itching to see them against a tougher opponent. It feels like they need a prod to be reminded who they are. Today it took Primerano going coast to coast. Yesterday it was Maynard's off the bench and in the net goal. I understand keeping the team in check a bit, but there's no reason they shouldn't be playing with a little bit of swagger. After last year's bronze I'm sure there's some thought to not act like a win is a given, but it's like they've gone too far in the other direction and they aren't hitting the ice with the confidence of knowing they are a very good team and very good players. It's a fine line and for me mentality has been the through line of the early games, but goodness it seems silly - and possibly a little dangerous to their chances - for a Canadian squad to take time to warm up and remember who they are.
Standout Performances:
- Switzerland G Amaya Iseli – I loved how she moved in the crease, that she directed traffic a bit and the poise she played with. She was prepared for what Canada could do and made some big saves. It wasn't chaotic and acrobatic, just solid and sure. There's only so much a goalie can do with Primerano in on you one-on-one, but I thought she was such an important part of Switzerland executing their plan.
- Canada F Dorothy Copetti – She lead the team in shots (6), won the two faceoffs she was called to take and scored two goals - all with just 10:00 of ice time. On a team full of eye-catching players, she stood out even without scoring goals and with limited time on ice. She uses her size to own patches of the ice, didn't get drawn in to some of the contact that happened and got in the right spot while reading developing plays.
Quotable:
"I just saw that the defender was a little unsure so I went for it. I didn't even know where I shot, I just did it." - Switzerland F Jael Manetsch on her breakaway goal
"We had a lot of work in the defensive zone and most of the time we did it well. We can use that against Slovakia." - Manetsch on what her team learned in this game
"It was a great backcheck by Woody (Ava Wood) and she just found me and I was lucky enough to get it right under the goalie's glove. It was all on auto. I look at all four corners of the net to see what's open. I picked one and it went in." - Canada F Dorothy Copetti on her second goal
"That's my thing. A lot of my goals come from there, so it felt natural for me." - Copetti on scoring a gritty goal in front of the net on a rebound
"We knew that we were going to come out with all that we had and we did. We got the first one and we didn't stop." - Copetti on coming out of the intermission after a scoreless first period
"We know that what we're feeling, everyone is feeling. We know that if we get too high or too low, that just opens it up for other teams to come in and take advantage. We just stay in the present and it's been working out well for us so far, so we're going to continue to do that throughout the tournament." - Copetti
(Photo: Czechia Hockey Twitter)