Finland gets in the new 2022 Olympic ladies’ hockey tournament because safeguarding bronze medalists out of both the 2018 Wintertime Video game during the South Korea and also the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Ladies’ Industry Tournament during the Canada. Audio very simple, correct? But there’s alot more here than just matches the eye into the Nordic country that consist 3rd throughout the IIHF Ladies’ Globe Ranking.
This really is a team in the changeover not as much as Pasi Mustonen, that will serve as direct coach from the his second and you can past Olympics. Teens try top and heart. The fresh new Beijing roster, announced on the 20 email addresses for sexy canadian women January, provides an impressive thirteen Olympic first-timers, and additionally seven skaters produced after the year 2000.
It is extremely just like the team you to strike the freeze inside Calgary for the August, but the exception to this rule regarding goalie Noora Raty – a several-time Olympian whom backstopped Finland so you can tan in 2010 and 2018 and you may a most likely upcoming IIHF Hall-of-famer – qualifies while the a good shocker.
Raty, thirty two, clashed having Mustonen publicly just last year whenever she decided to perform their hockey college from inside the Minnesota in place of join the Ladies Globes class. Still, the fresh new tenacious and you can skilled seasoned played to possess HPK Hameenlinna in 2010, is desired to the Olympic studies go camping, together with already offered to rejoin new Russian Ladies’ Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Light after Beijing.
Mustonen, in the event, is also validate their questionable choice from the leading so you’re able to Anni Keisala’s great performance during the Calgary. The newest twenty four-year-dated Ilves netminder – a positionally sound, chill battler – are entitled Top Goalie and you will a tournament all of the-superstar at Ladies Globes (step one.43 GAA, 94.8 save yourself payment, a couple shutouts). Meeri Raisanen, thirty two, brings a good option, although the veteran of 5 Ladies Globes failed to gamble during the the woman a couple of past Olympics (2014, 2018).
The newest mil-dollars question is whether possibly Keisala otherwise Raisanen can perform duplicating new miracle Raty exhibited on background-while making run to the brand new silver medal on 2019 Ladies Globes in the Espoo. Indeed there, Raty produced 43 conserves for the a good 4-dos partial-finally distressed more Canada and one fifty conserves throughout the questionable 2-step one silver-medal shootout losses to the Us citizens.
Inside the Beijing, 26-year-old Eveliina Makinen (nee Suonpaa), exactly who, eg Raisanen, sat on the sidelines from the both 2014 and you will 2018 Video game, nabs the third goalie room. She replaces Jenna Silvonen, the latest 23-year-dated Mercyhurst School netminder exactly who saw when you look at the Calgary.
Master Jenni Hiirikoski statements brand new Finnish blueline. Entitled Greatest Defender on past a couple of Olympics and you will eight Ladies Worlds, the brand new quick-skating 34-year-old movie star plays in virtually any problem. Hiirikoski averaged a competition-a lot of ice time in Calgary. Other key most of the-up to blueliners tend to be Hiirikoski’s strong Lulea HF teammate Ronja Savolainen and you may Minttu Tuominen, who can register Raty and you may submit Susanna Tapani with the Vanke Radiation immediately after Beijing.
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A notable blueline omission is actually 33-year-old Rosa Lindstedt, a beneficial three-big date Olympian just who captains Brynas Gavle but is actually slowed down from the wounds this current year. You to places the fresh new onus into around three young Kiekko-Espoo defenders to transmit 2nd-level one or two-way activities.
Nelli Laitinen (12+34=46) and Sanni Rantala (14+30=44), each other 19, score 1-dos into the rating certainly one of Naisten Liiga defenders, while you are Ella Viitasuo, 25, (16+24=40) try third. Which Olympics scratching Rantala’s elder-top IIHF first. This trio’s power to withstand the latest forechecking of one’s United states superpowers might possibly be crucial.
Offensively, there’s absolutely no concern the top submit collection of Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani, and you will Michelle Karvinen usually head the way in which.
Brand new volatile Nieminen, 22, contributed the brand new Ladies’ Planets having half a dozen desires on the way to help you an all-celebrity team berth. The Lulea winger are next within the SDHL scoring (24+28=52) behind Brynas Gavle’s Swiss superstar Lara Stalder. Tapani – a gifted runner who as well as dominates global in the inline hockey and you will ringette – usually point together with her playmaking enjoy to get more requires aside out-of Karvinen, an other experienced whom cracked from inside the half dozen facilitate however, didn’t white the fresh new red light in the 2021 Ladies Worlds.
Karvinen, 30, is typing their last Olympics and contributed the latest 2014 contest into the Sochi having five requires. The brand new Danish-Finnish power give enjoys occupied the web based inside the ten games which have Malmo Redhawks (26+21=47) on Swedish earliest division this present year.
After that, brand new margin ranging from winnings and you can beat against Canada and also the You.S. will count about far second scoring Mustonen will get. When you look at the Calgary, brand new Canadians rallied to conquer Finland 5-3 on the opener, given that You.S. blanked Finland 3-0 in both the team phase together with semi-finals.
Kiekko-Espoo’s Elisa Holopainen (38+46=84), putting in a bid in order to earn their third upright Naisten Liiga rating identity, had this lady lone Ladies’ Globes purpose facing Canada. Gritty Lulea submit Viivi Vainikka’s merely purpose are the last that for the an effective six-0 romp more Switzerland. Lulea experienced Noora Tulus, a four-date Swedish champ, features place an alternate private industry SDHL saturated in desires which season (18), however, has not yet obtained within the IIHF battle while the 2017 Ladies’ Worlds. All of these ahead must develop much more in Beijing.
Rating out-of precocious 16-year-dated Sanni Vanhanen, exactly who potted brand new step one-0 quarter-finally champion against Czechia when you look at the Calgary, would be an attractive extra. The fresh Finns may assume price and you may good checking regarding the enjoys regarding Olympic debutante Sofianna Sundelin and you will next-timekeeper Sanni Hakala.
This new Finns provides certainly split up themselves out-of Class A competitors such the ROC people and you may Switzerland. The newest Russians last-made an enthusiastic IIHF podium for the 2016 Women’s Globes tan medal, due to the fact Swiss haven’t obtained one steel just like the surprising 2014 Olympic tan medal inside Sochi. It will be possible one Czechia, that has pressed Finland tough in 2 straight Ladies Globes quarter-finals today, can get angle the most significant counterthreat to have third put.
Getting Mustonen’s crew, anything less than profitable their state’s 4th Olympic tan medal off all-time in the Beijing will be a primary dissatisfaction. Yet , making the Olympic latest the very first time in history looks like a lengthy sample. In any event, it would be another important help the brand new Finnish federal team’s growth process.
Lineup
Defenders Jenni Hiirikoski, Lulea HF (SWE) Sini Karjalainen, College out-of Vermont (NCAA) Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo Ronja Savolainen, Lulea Gavle (SWE) Minnamari Tuominen, Kiekko-Espoo Ella Viitasuo, Kiekko-Espoo
Forward Sanni Hakala, HV71 Jonkoping (SWE) Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo Michelle Karvinen, Malmo Redhawks (SWE) Julia Liikala, HIFK Helsinki Petra Nieminen, Lulea HF (SWE) Tanja Niskanen, KalPa Kuopio Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud County (NCAA) Sofianna Sundelin, Group Kuortane Susanna Tapani, KRS Vanke Rays (CHN/RUS) Noora Tulus, Lulea HF (SWE) Viivi Vainikka, Lulea HF (SWE) Sanni Vanhanen, Tappara Tampere Emilia Vesa, Kiekko-Espoo