BRAMPTON, Ont. – For the third consecutive year, Team Canada is off to the IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal game.
Earning a 5-1 win over Switzerland in the semifinals Saturday, the Canadians secured their shot at a tournament three-peat. They will take on rival Team USA on Sunday, who will appear in their 22nd consecutive final after taking down Czechia 9-1.
So not only will the 2023 gold medal game be a repeat of 2022, the bronze medal game will be as well, with Czechia and Switzerland going up against each other for the second year in a row.
Meeting at the CAA Centre 10 days after their first game against one another – the tournament opener for each team, that of which Canada won 4-0 – Canada’s Sarah Fillier was the standout player of this one, recording a hat trick.
A quiet opening 20 minutes for both sides in regards to scoring, neither managed to get themselves on the scoreboard ahead of the game’s first intermission. The most notable action in the first period was Switzerland’s captain Lara Stalder, who leads her squad with 10 points, receiving a game misconduct for checking from behind. It was a major loss for the Swiss as the top line of Stalder, Alina Muller and Rahel Enzler had together produced nine goals and 25 points heading into Saturday’s matchup.
The majority of Canada’s five-minute power play transferred over to the second period but the team was unable to capitalize on the extended man advantage they were gifted. The first goal of the night did not come until more than halfway through the game when Canada’s Sarah Fillier finally broke Czech goaltender Andrea Braendli. With helpers from linemates Natalie Spooner and Sarah Nurse, Fillier got ahold of the puck before striking just outside of the right circle.
The Canadians added insurance to their lead after Fillier potted another, this time with less than three minutes to play in the second. The play was initiated by Spooner’s wraparound attempt – as although she wasn’t successful in scoring herself, she was successful in getting the puck to the front of the net – which Fillier was then able to jam in despite the heavy Czech presence.
A delay of game penalty to Czechia’s Muller helped Canada earn their third tally just under four minutes into the final 20. As the Canadian power play got going, there was some traffic outside of the goal crease after a shot from Claire Thompson. Spooner, earning her third assist of the night, was able to get the puck loose and over to Jamie Lee Rattray who scored her first of the tournament.
The remainder of the third saw Fillier earn herself the hat trick with 4:56 to go and while Czechia finally got on the scoreboard with a little over two minutes remaining, it was too little too late. Rebecca Johnston got Canada their fifth of the night as the clock dwindled down to mere seconds to officially send the team to the finals.
