US women's hockey team tops Finland in Beijing Olympics semifinals; Canada awaits in gold-medal game
BEIJING — Sometimes, the gut carries more weight than the information, than the tendencies or what the outside world expects.
Joel Johnson’s gut told him to start Alex Cavallini. The U.S. women’s hockey coach hadn’t started a goalie in consecutive games all tournament. The decision to insert Cavallini – thought to be behind Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney on the goalie depth chart entering the Beijing Olympics – for the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic on Friday and again on Monday in a semifinal matchup against Finland, ultimately, paid off.
Thanks to Cavallini’s 25 saves – several of them clutch – against the Finns, stout defense in front of her and enough offense on the other end, the U.S. won 4-1 and advanced to its fourth consecutive gold-medal game.
“We just feel like we’ve had great play in net from everybody, but sometimes you just say ‘Hey, I feel like this is the right matchup and this is the right moment for this person to play.’ Sometimes you’re wrong, sometimes you’re right, and Alex was fantastic,” Johnson said after the game. “All the credit goes to her.”
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And for the fourth consecutive Olympics, Canada – the United States’ fiercest rival on the international stage, seeking revenge for its gold-medal game loss from four years ago in South Korea – will be the opponent.
“The Olympic final, everything is on the line,” captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “Everyone’s going to have to take their game up a notch. That happens naturally through the adrenaline of the moment.”
Canada has averaged nine goals per game this tournament and defeated Switzerland 10-3 in the earlier semifinal Monday. Their lowest number of goals scored in a game in Beijing came in a 4-2 victory against the U.S. in group play last week.
The U.S. has two days to figure out how to slow down the Canadian attack, while also devising a plan to put pucks past all-world goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, who made 51 saves against the U.S. last time out.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet,” Johnson said. “So I think we’re excited to see that. I thought when we played them the last time, we were pretty good. But we didn’t generate enough great opportunities to score. So I’m looking forward to playing them and making a few adjustments and I’m sure they’re going to do the same.”
One adjustment on display against Finland was an improved power play. Special teams have been mostly ineffective in Beijing. But the U.S. broke through early in the second. Hilary Knight, who continued her rise through the American Olympic record books, held the puck near the left circle and fed Hannah Brandt down low. Brandt dished across the slot to a cutting Cayla Barnes, and the defender's first goal of the tournament gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead after a scoreless first.
“I think we really needed that,” Barnes said.
The score had remained tied because of a pair of spectacular pad saves from Cavallini on Michelle Karvinen after a 2-on-1 advantage inside of the final minute of the first.
“End of a period, that can take momentum away, and then you go into a break remembering that,” defender Lee Stecklein said. “So for her to save those definitely keeps us going and makes us just want to do everything for her.
“She played great. Honestly, she played outstanding. Sorry we couldn’t get that shutout for her but all we cared about was winning this game.”
Barnes’ goal tilted the ice for the rest of the game. After a mostly even first period, the U.S. controlled the second and outshot the Finns 21-6 over those 20 minutes. With 67 seconds left in the second, the puck found itself on the stick of Knight. For Finland and goaltender Anni Keisala (38 saves), there wasn't much they could do. The period ended with the USA up 2-0.
With 4:40 to go in the game, Hayley Scamurra reached for a blast off Barnes' stick and tipped the puck through Keisala's legs for the three-goal advantage.
Finland pulled its goalie as the U.S. waited out the clock, and Susanna Tapani scored with 26 seconds left, but it was too little too late – even though Finland gave the U.S. its best punch and hardly looked like the team that lost to the Americans 5-2 in the first game of the tournament.
“I thought that was the best hockey game of the tournament so far,” Johnson said. “Finland was so good today. They were structured better. They looked comfortable.”
The USA’s Abby Roque scored on an empty net for her first goal of the tournament to make it 4-1.
For a team that entered the third period against the Czech Republic tied at 1 three days ago, the U.S. has had to battle to reach its date with destiny – and for U.S. women’s hockey, destiny goes by the nickname Canada.
Cavallini recalled a sense of urgency among the team during that final intermission against the Czechs. They were ready to go.
“You just felt it in that locker room,” Cavallini said. “For us to be able to overcome that adversity and stick together and (not) jump ship and continue to trust each other is exactly what we needed going forward.”
They’ll need that camaraderie, and some goals, to defend their Olympic title in two days.
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.